Hawk-Eye will be given an "extra responsibility" when it makes its Rugby World Cup debut next month: "it is to be used to punish players for foul play," according to Owen Slot of the LONDON TIMES. If there is doubt as to whether a punch has been thrown, or whether it landed, "or if there is a possible eye-gouging incident or a stamping offence," Hawk-Eye will help to make the decision. In short, "it is helping to play the role of tournament policeman." During the Rugby World Cup, Hawk-Eye will be introduced "largely for its traditional purposes, primarily to help referees to decide if a score is valid." Hawk-Eye will also be used to help the medical staff, "particularly in diagnosing head injuries." Its third remit, as the policeman, "will not even take place from within the rugby stadiums themselves." In past World Cups, a panel of citing officers "has been employed to review games for elements of foul play." Next month, however, citing officers will "not even go to the matches." Instead, they will watch the games live from a special citing officers' room at the tournament's main broadcasting center at Stockley Park near Heathrow. The citing officers' room will have the full Hawk-Eye technology, "which will enable them to make accurate decisions on which players have broken the laws." The same Hawk-Eye analysis will then be used to prosecute them at their disciplinary hearing (LONDON TIMES, 8/20).
