Higher GAA goalposts may prove a point as goal-line technology looms

THE GAA are set to introduce extended goalposts to complement the likelihood of goal-line technology getting the go-ahead for the All-Ireland championship series from 2012.

Ahead of today’s presentation by Hawk-Eye to the GAA’s management committee, officials are proposing that the current 10.67-metre height of posts be increased at all levels across the country to aid score detection.

Director of Games Development Pat Daly’s research committee recommends posts at provincial stadiums (eg Thurles, Clones) rise to 16m, at county grounds to 13m and 11m at club level. Currently, Croke Park’s pair of goalposts measure 13m, the highest in the country.

“With longer posts, the foundations will obviously have to be stronger so it would be a case of bringing in posts that pass the requisite safety standards,” said Daly. “We feel this is a necessary step towards improving score detection.”

The elongated goalposts are part of a presentation by Tallow-based GoalPost Ireland (GPI). GPI are manufacturing posts with each upright featuring a “point catcher”, a net which runs from the crossbar to the top of each upright and breadth-wise measures out one metre to a back set of posts.

The idea is that any ball that is directed towards the posts but wide will bounce away wide from the net while points would drop over the bar and into either of the posts’ nets.

The top 2m of the GPI’s new posts are also painted in high-visibility red, making it easier to distinguish between what are and aren’t scores.