GAA to investigate Hawk-Eye mishap

The Hawk-Eye score detection technology introduced by the GAA earlier this summer will come under increased scrutiny after a major error in today's All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship final.

Referee Fergal Horgan went to Hawk-Eye to rule on a first minute point attempt from Limerick's Barry Nash. The graphic came up showing that the sliotar had gone inside the right hand post for a point, but the system malfunctioned and 'miss' was flashed up on the screen.

As a result, Horgan gave it as a wide and it was a costly mistake in the end as Limerick and Galway finished level at the end of normal time - 0-16 apiece.

Galway went on to win the game by 0-23 to 0-20 in extra-time and join Waterford in next month's decider, but the embarrassing Hawk-Eye blunder cast a shadow over the result.

The GAA reacted by dropping the Hawk-Eye system for the ensuing All-Ireland senior semi-final between Clare and Limerick this afternoon, and an internal investigation is due to be launched over the matter.

Confirming the decision to suspend Hawk-Eye, a graphic on the Croke Park screens read: "Following an inconsistent graphic generated by Hawk-Eye during the minor game, it has been decided to suspend the use of the score detection technology for the senior game."

Giving the GAA's reaction, the Association's head of media relations Alan Milton said: "We were unhappy with the generation of one of the graphics. There was an inconsistency during the minor game.

"To that end we have decided to pull Hawk-Eye for the remainder of the day. We are taking the policy it is better to be safe than sorry in this instance.

"We are going to launch an internal investigation to try to get to the bottom of it to make sure it can be remedied before it will be in use again. For obvious reasons, if it is not perfect, we will not be using as part of match-day apparatus."

The internationally renowned ball-tracking system, familiar to fans of tennis, cricket and most recently English Premier League soccer, made its GAA debut at Croke Park on June 1 for the Kildare-Offaly and Dublin-Westmeath Leinster football matches.

The Sony-backed and Basingstoke based Hawk-Eye is designed to 'support the decision making of the referee in the eventuality of any ambiguity as to whether a point has been scored or not'.

It was trialled over the last two years at Croke Park and the Association brought opticians Specsavers on board as sponsors of it. Within the stadium there are six cameras, four located in the stands and one behind each goal.