Imagine you are sitting at home watching your favourite sport and you think the manager or referee has made a bad decision. But, instead of shouting at the television, you simply rewind and watch a virtual replay of what would have happened had the call been different.
Or seeing, via bodycam, what an umpire sees before deciding on their decision on whether a batsman is in or out.
Well, in the not-too-distant future, you might be able to do just that, thanks to Hawk-Eye.
In a world where sport and technology are rapidly converging, the British-born company, now Japanese-owned, stands out.
For 20 years the brainchild of Paul Hawkins, a computer and artificial intelligence expert, has led the way in revolutionising the manner in which cricket, tennis and football are covered.
What started out as an aid for fans on television has become an integral part of the officiating systems for many sports around the world.
It ensures fair play and the right decisions are made by eliminating human error, as far as is possible,
Video Assistant Referees (VAR), Semi Automated Offside (SAO), Goal Line Technology (GLT) and the Decision Review System (DRS), acronyms that trip off the tongue, were all developed by Hawk-Eye.
When Andre Agassi, the former tennis great, said 15 years ago that Hawk-Eye had made a bigger contribution to the game than most sportsmen, he was not wrong. That can now be said to be true for most sports in the world.
The effect of Hawk Eye has literally been game-changing.
It works with 23 of the top 25 sports leagues and federations in the world. Fifa uses its GLT, and its semi-automated offside tech was rolled out at the World Cup last year. This has speeded up decision making from about 75 seconds to 15 seconds. The company is looking into fully automated opportunities as well.
With a summer of sport in England coming up that includes the Wimbledon tennis championships, and the much-anticipated Ashes cricket series against Australia, Hawk-Eye, which Hawkins launched in 2001 after graduating from Durham University, will be at the forefront of coverage.
Tennis has benefited from the use of the technology by determining whether the ball is in or out to an accuracy of a few millimetres, so-called electronic ball tracking.
It uses several camera angles from on high to trace the ball’s trajectory, via six or more computer-linked television cameras situated around the court.
It has replaced line judges in many tournaments and last month the ATP, the men’s tour, decided it would become a permanent feature from 2025.
The majors, such as Wimbledon, sit outside that and make their own decisions. But with the US Open and its counterpart in Australia having already phased out line judges, the pressure will mount on Wimbledon and the French Open, where traditions runs deep, to follow suit.
All of the AI machine learning we do is based on real-life moments and data. We work with what's happening in real life in real time
Hawk Eye spokesman
In cricket DRS technology is used primarily to assist the umpire in leg-before-wicket decisions. Computers read and track the trajectory of the ball in real time. These numerous views are then combined to produce an accurate 3D representation of the ball’s flight.
Innovation and the pushing of boundaries never stops at the company, which in 2011 was taken over by Sony and is now part of the Japanese company’s sports entertainment business unit, including Pulselive (websites & apps), and Beyond Sports (virtual recreations of live sports).
Hawkins has stepped back to become chief innovations officer and to focus on research and development. It is a business which now employs more than 550 people and is valued at more than £250 million ($309 million).
Rufus Hack is now the chief executive.
Its most important recent development is SkeleTRACK, an optical tracking system developed with advanced image processing and machine-learning techniques.
It can track 29 skeletal points on every athlete as well as the ball; so can instantly and accurately track the players and the ball across the full pitch or the court.
In cricket the umpire body cam tracks the ball and does not need an onsite operator. It is already in development and testing has started in the UK.
Testing is fundamental in getting a product to market.
“We never release anything without extensive testing and validation via both clients and independent institutions,” a company representative said.
“And we do that alongside governing bodies and partners until they are satisfied with the level that we are producing of accuracy and consistency for elite sport.
“Assessment is a continuous process we have with our clients to ensure that we are continually innovating and pushing the boundaries of technology in sport, and making sure that we are addressing the current and future needs of every client no matter what.”
As Hawkins has said, credibility is absolutely essential because it takes an awfully long time to establish and a very short time to lose.
And while sports evolve and move forward there will always be a market for Hawk-Eye.
“Sports haven't stopped evolving in themselves. So, as the sport evolves, the rulebook evolves, which means how you officiate and the tools and technology that are needed have to continue to evolve with that.”
Is artificial intelligence seen as a potential threat? The company says not.
“When it comes to officiating we're working with facts,” the official continued. “Any AI machine learning we do, is based on real life and data. We work with what's happening on the field in real time with our data processed and available in less than a second."
At the Rugby World Cup coming up in the autumn, Hawk-Eye will be there providing services. But another company, Sportable, has developed the Smartball, where a computer chip is placed inside the ball to provide a range of data.
Hawk-Eye sees this as a complementary product rather than a rival.
“We are an optical tracking technology company. We use cameras, Sportable use chips. Both technologies have their benefits and also their challenges, so in sports such as Rugby, by utilising the complimenting technologies, we are able to solve problems for our shared clients.
"Hawk-Eye has always been at the forefront of pioneering change in sport. Building on a foundation of trust with the biggest governing bodies and leagues, we look forward to continually innovating with our partners, engaging with sporting communities and inspiring change in sport.”
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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more from Janine di Giovanni
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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