The 100-year installation of the Copa America, the Copa America Centenario, will feature a piece of technology that those playing in 1916 could only dream of. Hawk-eye’s famous goal-line technology will be making its debut this year in the tournament held in the United States starting on June 3rd.
Goal-line technology made its major tournament debut at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but GoalControl supplied the system for that World Cup. Since then, Hawk-Eye has become the staple of goal-line technology usage, being implemented in last summer’s 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, in addition to the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and the upcoming Euro 2016.
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Hawk-Eye uses a system of 14 high-speed cameras, seven for each goal, to track the exact location of the ball as it crosses the goal line. If the ball completely crosses the goal line, then a watch on the referee’s wrist vibrates and lights up with the word “goal.”
The British-based company has also made forays into the realm of officiating in both tennis and cricket recently. Hawk-Eye’s technology has been used at prestigious tournaments like the Australian Open, and the company created a coin-sized sensor to help with officiating in the game of cricket.
So far, Hawk-Eye’s goal line technology has been met with widespread praise, saving the referee a considerable amount of pressure on close calls.
The Copa America Centenario kicks off on June 3rd, as the United States plays Colombia in Santa Clara, California. The U.S. will be glad to hear that they do not have to worry about any bad goal-line decisions, as they test a young lineup against one of South America’s best teams.