Walking in the Footsteps of NFL, PGA Tour Also Set to Launch a Rule Review System to Eliminate Incorrect Rulings

Published 01/28/2023, 7:00 AM EST
Rules are what binds together a world of chaos. Be it a classroom or a field, every place has rules. The traditional sport of golf has numerous rules. Regardless of how insignificant the rule may seem, it must be followed, and the sport has systems in place to ensure that it is. From officials on foot to footage review, the systems in place are sometimes not very efficient. But that all changes now. The PGA Tour is now taking on a new system for rule review in 2023, similar to that of the NFL.
The rules of golf are constantly changing, and with it, the systems too. The systems often undergo revisions and advancements to make sure that efficiency during gameplay is optimized. This latest upgrade is possibly the biggest one yet.
The PGA Tour follows other sports with its new rule-review measures
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Over the years, many fans have complained about the time taken for the rules to be reviewed. When there’s a possible violation, players often need to await the arrival of a roving official before play can be continued, thus slowing down the game significantly. But the tour now has an answer to this.
In 2023, as per a recent Golf Digest report, the Tour will try out a new hi-tech video review system. The system will allow officials to evaluate rules and provide a ruling in real time. Along with modernizing the systems in place, the Tour hopes that it will improve competition and the expediency of rulings.
The NFL, NBA, and NHL have also adopted similar measures in recent years. With control centers in the New York City area that explicitly review real-time footage of the games. The PGA Tour, too, will adopt a similar idea with a roving review center this year.
How will the new review center work?
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The tour will implement a replay system that is similar to the one that the NFL Playoffs used earlier this year. The “Sky Judge,” who will have a “Hawkeye” system, will assist the officials on the ground wherein he will be able to queue up any shot. With his vision, the on-course official will be able to make much faster decisions on obvious calls.
Golf – European Tour – BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, Britain – September 8, 2022 Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy during the first round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
The mobile review center will also have officials working out a booth at all 28 events. The booth will be located in the production area, and there will also be officials patrolling the course. At the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Florida, a central review system is also being built. It should be completed and functional by 2025.
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How beneficial do you think this system will prove to be? Let us know in the comments below.