Quote:
Originally Posted by Strange Brew
I don’t know where the cameras are but certainly there can be obstructions in tennis, no? Are there always instructions in hockey?
Anyway you were referring to precision for edges of the puck, needing to be correct every time, calibration etc. all of which would seem to apply in tennis. The system in tennis seems to work perfectly and with no delay.
Does there have to be sensors in the puck for this to work? Seems like a bunch of excuses, I think this could be achieved if it was any kind of priority.
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Here's a good recent video about the use of Hawk-Eye in tennis (it also mentions soccer and other sports). It even mentions that it's not used on the clay court at the French Open because they don't consider it reliable enough...
Tennis is basically the perfect sport for this type of camera-based system because it has a smaller playing surface and few players who don't have any direct contact during play. Also, the rules of the game require the referees to have a clear view of the ball, so replacing humans with cameras is pretty simple.
Hockey is probably the worst sport for this sort of system. The puck is small relative to the players (especially in full equipment) unlike much bigger basketball, football, and soccer balls. You can have multiple players is close proximity to the puck, with one player whose sole job is to stop, grab, and/or smother the puck.
This is the camera setup used by the NHL during the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Something similar is likely currently is use...
https://www.nhl.com/news/stanley-cup...logy-307611140
1, 2: NHL cameras embedded in crossbar, aimed at goal line; 3: NHL fixed camera aimed at goal line; 4. 360-degree TV camera; 5: Padded bag containing NHL camera transmission system and batteries; 6: Canon camera with 15mm fish-eye lens for still photos; 7: Padded bag containing high-definition super-slow-motion two-stream TV transmission system and batteries.
I think one big improvement over this setup would be to add cameras in the corners of the goal where the posts meet the crossbar. A lot of these reviewable plays tend to happen at the post (as with the Flames goal in Buffalo), so it would make sense to have a better view there.
Another thing I've often thought would be helpful would be some type of laser system that shines a thin red line from the crossbar down to the ice precisely on the back of the goal line. The technology could be similar to a laser level used in construction and anything breaking the plane of the goal line would show a bright red line from the crossbar cameras.
Ultimately, it's going to require some sort of sensor embedded inside the puck that can accurately report the puck's position and orientation to at least mm accuracy before we'll ever see a technology that can be reliably used as an automatic goal judge.
Where I think the Hawk-Eye system could be useful would be for offside calls. I believe they should have off-ice linesmen who track the puck every time it crosses the blue line, who can blow a play dead within seconds of an offside entry, eliminating the need for coach's challenges, saving a lot of time and frustration.