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    IPL has introduced a Smart Replay System to enable quicker and more accurate reviews
IPL has introduced a Smart Replay System to enable quicker and more accurate reviews
The new system should provide players and fans with quicker, more accurate decision-making. Source: BCCI

IPL has introduced a Smart Replay System to enable quicker and more accurate reviews

The new system will feature TV umpire and Hawk-Eye operators working together in the same room. The system will include more split screens, improved frame rates, and a less rigid process.

To enhance decision-making accuracy and speed, IPL 2024 will feature the Smart Replay System.

According to ESPNcricinfo, this system will allow the TV umpire to receive direct input from two Hawk-Eye operators who will be in the same room. These operators will provide images captured by Hawk-Eye's eight high-speed cameras across the ground. Under the new system, the TV broadcast director will no longer act as a conduit between the third umpire and the Hawk-Eye operators.

The Smart Replay System will provide the TV umpire with access to more visuals, including split-screen images. For instance, consider a relay catch taken mid-air by the first fielder on the boundary rope. Previously, the broadcaster was unable to display a split screen of the fielder's feet and hands at the exact moment the ball was caught. With the new system, however, a split screen can show the umpire when the ball was caught or released, along with synchronised footage.

Similarly, in case of an overthrow that goes for four, a split screen can now show whether the batters had crossed when the fielder released the ball (think the 2019 World Cup final for an example of a specific use case). Previously, because broadcasters could not fuse the two images, the TV umpire did not have access to such clear visuals.

There are eight Hawk-Eye cameras in each game: two on each side of the ground on the straight boundaries and two on each side square of the wicket. Until IPL 2023, Hawk-Eye cameras were primarily used for ball tracking and UltraEdge. Therefore, apart from verifying lbws and edges, broadcasters mainly relied on their own cameras for on-field referrals. This included stumpings, run-outs, catches, and overthrows.

In the event of a stumping referral under the Smart Review System, the TV umpire can request the Hawk-Eye operators to display the split screen. If there is a visible gap when the ball passes the bat, the TV umpire will not request UltraEdge to check for a caught behind and will instead proceed directly to check the side-on replay for the stumping. If the TV umpire does not see a clear gap between the bat and ball, only then will they refer to UltraEdge.

For stumpings, the new system will display tri-vision footage from side-on and front-on cameras in a single frame. This is important because the front-on camera angle accurately shows the removal of bails. In the past, the broadcaster would only show the side-on footage from each side along with the footage from the stump cam. But the Stump Cam records the action at a slower speed of around 50 fps, as opposed to the Hawk-Eye cameras, which record at around 300 fps, giving the umpires a more accurate picture.

The Smart Review System can improve clarity in cases where a catch is taken close to the ground. Such referrals have previously sparked debate over the TV umpire's decision, as the video evidence on which the decision was based was not always conclusive. Under the old system, the TV umpire would ask the TV director to provide the best available angle to determine whether the ball bounced before the fielder caught it or whether the fingers were under the ball. Even the close-up visuals did not always provide conclusive evidence.

Now, with the Smart Review System, Hawk-Eye will display a single frame immediately with images from front-on and side-on angles. The TV umpire can then choose to zoom in from a specific angle.

It goes without saying that the discussions between the TV referee and the Hawk-Eye operator are likely to be broadcast live. This will allow the viewer to better understand the decision-making process.

In T20 cricket, speed of play is crucial. In T20 cricket, speed of play is crucial. The Smart Review System aims to expedite decision-making by eliminating unnecessary steps. In T20 cricket, speed of play is crucial. For instance, lbw reviews currently require the TV umpire to first examine Spin Vision footage from cameras positioned outside the boundary on each side of the pitch. If the ball is near the bat, the TV umpire will then request to check UltraEdge. After confirming that there was no involvement of the bat, the ball tracking would be checked. If the Hawk-Eye operator detects that the ball had pitched outside leg under the Smart Review System, they will promptly inform the TV umpire, who will then prioritize ball tracking.

The ECB has previously tested a comparable referral system in the Hundred.

The BCCI recently held a two-day workshop in Mumbai on Sunday and Monday to train selected umpires on the new system. It has been reported that approximately 15 umpires, including both Indian and overseas umpires, will be working with the Smart Replay System during IPL 2024, which commences on March 22.

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