Is it time to change the colour of the sliotar?
Updated / Sunday, 17 Feb 2019 17:31
Sliotars are traditionally white with black stitching
By Eoin Ryan
RTÉ Sport Journalist
With the scores level in last night's Allianz Division 1A clash between Cork and Clare, Banner star Tony Kelly attempted a shot from a tight angle.
The umpire picked up the white flag to signal a point but then, either by the input of his white-coated colleague or Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash, changed his mind and waved it wide.
Television replays suggest the ball sneaked inside the post but as co-commentator Donal O'Grady pointed out "it was white against white and difficult to see" under floodlights.
Installation and operation costs mean Hawk-Eye is currently only used in Croke Park and Semple Stadium.
After conferring, the umpires decided this Tony Kelly shot slid wide - Cork ultimately won by three points. Watch full highlights on Allianz League Sunday (9.30pm) tomorrow pic.twitter.com/y1PibklOxg
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 16, 2019
The GAA have been trialling microchipped luminous sliotars (with red stitching) in competitions such as the Fenway Classic but there is no indication yet as to when there will be a standardised ball for all competitions.
At the moment, several manufacturers are licensed to produce official sliotars and teams are free to choose their preferred brand.
Former Cork All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack, who once said he wore tinted lenses in games to help him track the flight of the ball, said that the time had come for all sliotars to be luminous.
"The ball is the wrong colour, simple as that. It needs to be a ball that can be seen," he told RTÉ Sport.
"It's like tennis. Tennis used to be a white ball, and they changed the ball to make it easier for people, player, TV, to see it.
"I know Croke Park are looking at it, but it can't come soon enough that change of ball, to give everybody that little bit of help, umpires included."
'The ball is the wrong colour...it needs to be a ball that can be seen' - Donal Og has his say after it appeared Clare had a point chalked off as a wide by the match officials pic.twitter.com/PtkZFsjvRP
In an RTÉ Sport twitter poll, a majority (51%) of respondents were in favour of only using a luminous ball under floodlights, 34% felt it should be used all the time and 15% would opt to use the white ball at all times.
After a Tony Kelly point wasn't given last night, should all be sliotars luminous? https://t.co/wFpDlBDJqS #GAA #AllianzLeagues #hurling
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 17, 2019
Allianz Hurling League
Tony Kelly
Sliotar