Hawk Eye won’t cover goal areas

Only points will be covered by Hawk Eye score detection technology at Croke Park as the cost would have significantly increased if goal areas had been included.

A two-year trial of the system — currently used in tennis and cricket — is expected to get the green light for Gaelic games at next month’s Annual Congress.

Pending approval from delegates, it will come into effect on June 1 for the Leinster SFC double bill of Offaly v Kildare and Dublin v Westmeath/Carlow.

Congress motion 52 allows for referees to seek clarification, via instruction from Hawk Eye, if “a ball has gone between the posts for a point or outside the posts for a wide”.

However, the goal areas will not be monitored. It is understood that around eight cameras are required under the present arrangement but this figure could double if the goal-line was also to be monitored.

This would have meant a significant cost impact with the system only planned for installation at Croke Park due to the prohibitive cost of rolling it out nationally.

Top GAA officials met with Hawk Eye representatives as recently as last week and they have been assured that it is fully functioning and ready to go this summer.

If Hawk Eye is introduced, it is expected to get the go-ahead for championship games at Croke Park in 2013 and 2014.