What is Ball Tracking in Cricket & How Does it Work?

The game of cricket is continuously becoming more entertaining for the viewers due to the constant improvement in how the game is displayed.

Cricket has various technologies both in the game and in broadcasting being used to enhance the experience of the viewers.

These technologies play a vital role in making the game fairer by allowing the umpires to capture every little nook and cranny of the game.

This data collected from various technologies used can then be used to make an accurate assessment of the end decision in the game.

One of the various technologies used in cricket is Ball Tracking, so Let’s learn about What is Ball Tracking in Cricket and How Does it work?

What is Ball Tracking in Cricket and How Does it Work?

Ball Tracking was first used in 2001 in a match between England and Pakistan, it has been a crucial decision maker in LBW decisions in cricket ever since.

Ball Tracking isn’t just used in Cricket but in various other sports as well like volleyball, rugby and tennis.

Hawk-Eye is the technology used to determine the trajectory of the ball in Ball Tracking. Hawk-Eye generally uses 6 cameras to triangulate the position of the ball to make accurate decisions.

All of that footage is recorded from the moment the ball leaves the bowler and is used as Data to determine the future trajectory of the ball using a 3D-based model.

The technical aspect of Ball tracking is rather difficult to understand, however, in theory, it’s very simple as it simply predicts the path the ball would have travelled based on how and where the ball travelled to till a particular distance.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ball Tracking

Ball Tracking has irreversibly changed the game by helping umpires and giving them insights into where the ball would travel to.

Ball Tracking is an irreplaceable part of Cricket due to how it’s used in cricket especially in the Decision Review System and in Close Call LBW Decisions.

Keeping that in mind there is room for error in the Ball tracking system as it is only accurate for up to 3.6mm and in some cases it is argued that the deviation is more. 

However, it can help us get accurate decisions through hawkeye technology as to whether the ball is in line with the stumps or not.

This has a margin of error even with umpires as they rely solely on their naked eye.

Also, ball tracking technology with the combination of Ultra Edge or the snickometer also helps the umpire determine whether there is any contact with the bat involved.

After all this is done, the third umpire would then refer to the ball tracking and make an accurate decision.

Conclusion

These technologies have an impact on the game as well as on the viewers, as it makes the game more interesting.

Ball Tracking makes the game more exciting and gets us all on the edge of our seats whenever a decision is reviewed through the DRS.

These technologies are constantly improving and the error of 3.6mm would soon be eliminated through various advancements.

In addition to all the things mentioned above, the data through ball tracking is also analysed by Cricket Analysts to improve the performance of individual players and the entire team.

Frequently Asked Questions