BBC NI has said it cannot broadcast replay clips involving Hawk-Eye technology from GAA matches at Croke Park due to the use of “commercial branding”.
It comes the week before the broadcaster covers the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Armagh and Galway at the stadium.
Hawk-Eye is a computer vision system used in sports such as cricket, tennis, Gaelic football, badminton, hurling and volleyball.
It visually tracks the trajectory of the ball and displays a profile of its statistically most likely path as a moving image.
RTE has been using the technology for more than a decade in broadcasts of GAA matches at Croke Park.
However, when the BBC broadcasts the same game, a repeat is not shown, potentially leaving viewers in the dark about key decisions in matches.
When the Hawk-Eye replays are shown, the logo of current Croke Park sponsor Specsavers is displayed on the screen to TV viewers.
A BBC NI spokesperson said it is unable to cover replays using the technology to show repeats of parts of GAA matches due to “restrictions on the use of commercial branding”.
Hawk-Eye was originally handed a two-year trial run in May 2013 at Croke Park, as well as being given a spot at Semple Stadium in Thurles in 2016 before a temporary presence at Páirc Uí Chaoimh the following year.
The GAA had hoped for a 2012 start, with a number of contentious calls raising the pressure, including a Colm Cooper effort that looked like a point in a 3-10 to 1-15 Allianz Football League loss to Dublin the year before.
An example of the Hawk-Eye system in GAA
Last year, the GAA stood down its Hawk-Eye score detection system for the All-Ireland quarter-finals at Croke Park in July.
The existence of a flaw became evident when Monaghan’s Michael Bannigan had a kick referred to Hawk-Eye. It looked on replay as if it had gone wide, but the stadium screen flashed the message “Hawk-Eye data unavailable”.
The Hawk-Eye system used in GAA
In the end there was no major issue in that Monaghan defeated Armagh on penalties. The Orchard County redeemed themselves, however, and will take on Galway next weekend — their first final since 2003.
Boss Kieran McGeeney hailed his bench after the extra-time win over Kerry. He said: “It was good to see a lot of fellas coming off the bench, especially in extra-time — that was really decisive for us.”
Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney after his side’s victory over Kerry in Croke Park. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
During last Sunday’s other semi-final between Donegal and Galway, Hawk-Eye was called into play as it confirmed Michael Langan’s shot as wide for Donegal, with the match finishing Donegal 0-15 Galway 1-14.
Throw-in for next Sunday’s final is at 3.30pm.
The game will be live on both RTE and BBC Two NI