It took an argument at a critical stage of the US Open in 2004 to make tennis
realize that instant analysis by television would benefit players,
spectators and even officials. Jennifer Capriati was playing Serena Williams
in the quarter-finals of the US Open and received the benefit of four
debatable calls in the final set, which she won 6-4. Within a year, the
International Tennis Federation approved the Hawk-Eye ball-tracking system.
We all know and experience, sometimes with frustration, how instant replay has been used within American football and many a soccer fan would like to have seen instant replay implemented at the France/Ireland match. Come on FIFA, it really is just a matter of time.
Here is how technology has been used within a couple of other sports:
Rugby union The referee can call on a TV match official (TMO) to assist his decision-making if he did not actually see the play. The TMO can rule, for instance, if a player grounded the ball or whether his foot was in touch before scoring a try. It has been criticized for the time taken to reach a decision, with some calling for a limit on the number of replays the TMO can use. Video referees are also used in rugby league.
Cricket From October — although there is a dispute about who will pay — players have been able to seek a review of a decision by appealing to a TV umpire. They are allowed three unsuccessful requests per inning, which must be made within a few seconds of the ball becoming dead. Only the batsman concerned or fielding captain may make the request.
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