Hawk-Eye qualifiedas official licensee of goal-line technology

Basingstoke, July 5^th 2012:

Hawk-Eye Innovations is pleased to have been qualified for the licensing of goal-line technology to football associations across the world.

Steve Carter, Managing Director of Hawk-Eye Innovations, said: “We are delighted by FIFA’s decision to endorse the use of goal-line technology and to have qualified for a license. We are confident, following years of development and testing, that Hawk-Eye can assist decision making for referees in critical goal-line situations which can affect the outcomes of club and international games. Hawk-Eye has many years’ experience of successfully deploying its innovative technology for high-profile sports globally and can be trusted to provide a reliable long-term service to the game of football.”

FIFA’s decision comes after extensive trials over the past year to estimate not only the accuracy and reliability of goal-line technology, but also the implications on stadia infrastructure and the associated costs to different football associations. The Hawk-Eye solution requires absolutely no modification or interference with the equipment on the field of play, including the goal postsand balls, which is crucial to gaining the trust and confidence of both players and officials.Trials by FIFA further demonstrated the high level of accuracy and reliability of the Hawk-Eye system insituations where the ballis obscured to even higher degrees than has occurred in real-life games

The Hawk-Eye system is based on numerous high framerate cameras placed around the stadium focused on each goal mouth, monitoring the ball’s trajectory when it is close to the line. The data from the cameras is fed into a central processing unit that analyses the position of the ball relative to that of the goal line. If the system recognises that the ball has crossed the goal line, it relays that information in less than one secondto devices worn by officials on the field of play.Beyond making an instant definitive call, Hawk-Eye can also deliver video replays that prove the validity of the decision made by the system.

David Bush, Marketing Director, Sony Professional Solutions, Sony Europe, added; “Backed by Sony, Hawk-Eye will deliver the best decision-making tools to referees and football associations across the world. Sony has a strong legacy of bringing innovative technologies to the world of sport and in particular football. This agreement reinforces our position as one of the world’s leading sports technology providers and underlines our commitment to deliver ever more compelling and enhanced experiences.”