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Meet the A.I. Ph.D. Who Took Human Error Out of the World’s Biggest Games

Paul Hawkins created Hawk-Eye in 2001. Now owned by Sony, the tracking technology powers VAR, tennis line calls and goal-line reviews.

Technology is shaping the outcome of sport more than ever. Just this week, during a World Cup clash between Brazil and Norway, a penalty was awarded after VAR (Video Assistant Referee) reviewed a foul by Kristoffer Ajer on Matheus Cunha. At the heart of VAR is Hawk-Eye, a system that tracks and predicts the path of a ball using cameras positioned around the field. As the World Cup’s optical tracking partner, Hawk-Eye uses computer vision and 16 high-resolution cameras to monitor player movement and ball position, helping officials make decisions such as offside calls. The technology has also transformed other sports, most notably tennis, where it has replaced line judges.

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