Hawk-Eye blames freak 'occlusion' for goal-line technology error during Aston Villa vs Sheffield United

Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland clearly carried the ball over his own goal-line but it was not detected

Hawk-Eye has blamed a major error of its goal-line technology (GLT) in the Premier League on a freak moment in which its cameras were momentarily blocked by the players around the ball.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland clearly carried the ball over his own goal-line after collecting a cross by Sheffield United’s Oliver Norwood, in the top-flight’s first game back since the coronavirus pandemic. The GLT failed to detect the goal, with referee Michael Oliver pointing to his watch to indicate it was not signalling that the entire ball had crossed the entire line, despite Blades’ protests. The match finished 0-0.

A Hawk-Eye statement said: “During the first half of Aston Villa v Sheffield United match at Villa Park, there was a goal line incident where the ballw as carried over the line by Aston Villa goalkeeper, No 25 Nyland. The match officials did not receive a signal to the watch no earpiece as per the Goal Decision System (GDS) protocol. The seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender, and goalpost. This level of occlusion has never been seen before in over 9,000 matches that the Hawk-Eye Goal Line Technology system has been in operation.

“The system was tested and proved functional prior to the start of the match in accordance with the IFAB Laws of The Game and confirmed as working by the match officials. The system has remained functional throughout. Hawk-Eye unreservedly apologises to the Premier League, Sheffield United, and everyone affected by this incident.”

Goal-line technology came into use in the Premier League in 2013-14 and has widely been considered successful in preventing infamous moments like Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll’s spill over the line in 2007, when Tottenham were not awarded a clear goal. Frank Lampard’s strike in the 2010 World Cup against Germany, which hit the crossbar and bounced over the line but wasn’t spotted, was considered a watershed moment in the debate over the use of technology to officiate football.

The Sony-owned system uses a series of cameras to triangulate the position of the ball, and is a similar technology to that used in major tennis tournaments. It is accurate to within 3.6mm.

On social media, a number of Premier League footballers questioned why the video assistant referee (VAR) did not intervene and award the goal, after replays clearly showed the ball had crossed the line. However, The Independent understands that VAR officials implicitly trust the GLT system and would not typically even consider reviewing its decisions.