Hawkeye will be in action for the final of the 2017 All Ireland Ladies Football Final and the Association is also introducing a new official, akin to a TMO, to assist referees on making the right call on scores in all televised matches during the Championship.
Both initiatives were unveiled at yesterday’s launch of the 2017 TG4 Ladies All Ireland Football Championships at Croke Park.
The new ‘scores assistant’ will now sit in the TG4 production vans at all televised matches where they will have the benefit of all available television angles to help judge if a score has taken place.
Cork will have their TG4 Senior All Ireland title on the line when they play Monaghan in the Qualifier Series on August 7th in the first match that will be televised from the 2017 Championship.
The winners of that match will then face Galway in the All Ireland Quarter Final. Donegal await the winners of the Mayo versus Kildare All Ireland Qualifier with newly crowned Munster Champions, Kerry, awaiting the winner of the Westmeath v Armagh qualifier. The first match of the TG4 Senior All Ireland Championship will see Cavan meet Laois on July 22nd with the winner taking on Waterford in the Qualifier with Dublin awaiting the victor of that qualifier.
“We are already enjoying an incredible year on the field as we see some traditional powers struggle and the emergence of some new contenders which only adds to the excitement,” said Ladies gaelic Football President Marie Hickey speaking at the launch.
“Ladies Gaelic Football is a sport that is consistently evolving and, with thanks to our friends in TG4, we are now able to introduce the use of video assistance for scoring situations.”
“This is a vitally important development as it is available at every ground and at every match that is being televised.”
“We are determined that, where possible, we have a level playing field for all of our players regardless of what stage of the competition they are playing in. Having said that, we are aware that technology, like Hawkeye, is a great assistance to our officials which is why the Hawkeye technology will also be used where available to ensure that referees have the best assistance possible.”
TG4 also launched their new championship campaign #properfan as official sponsors of the Ladies All Ireland Championships.
The campaign challenges supporters of sport to be ‘proper fans’ who watch sport based on the quality of the game and not who is playing it.
TG4 have sponsored Ladies Gaelic Football and televised matches live for over 16 years giving the game a profile that has seen attendance records rise consistently to the point where 34,450 people attended last year’s TG4 All Ireland Finals in 2016.
“The Championship season is gearing up fully now and excitement mounts as the contenders gear up for the big days ahead,” said Leascheannasaí TG4, Pádhraic Ó Ciardha.
“TG4 is proud to present these thrilling, winner takes all, fixtures, broadcast live and free to view on all TV platforms, all over Ireland and globally on our Player.”
“Our TV coverage once again will introduce additional technical enhancements and we will also be inviting “proper fans” to make themselves known to us – in a nationwide promotion that you’ll see coming at you over the coming weeks.”
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Find out more about our next major event looking at the impact of Sport for Social Good in September 2017.
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