The humble sliotar is the target of a high-tech research project which it is hoped will make the ball easier to follow as it speeds across the television screen. Hurling is the fastest land-based ball game in the world, and it is often very difficult to see the sliotar as it flies through the air. Engineers at the National University of Ireland, Galway, hope to tackle the problem by developing an electronic tag which will be inserted into the sliotar.
The signal will be picked up by the television camera and appear on TV as an electronic "ring of confidence" around the ball as it moves across the screen.
The two-year research project is being carried out in the Departments of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering and is sponsored by the GAA's hurling development committee and Forbairt.
If successful, the electronic tag could also be used to develop an automated score system, if linked to a radar at the goal-posts. This would eliminate disputes over scores, particularly where the sliotar passes high above the uprights.
The first stage of the project will be to develop a detailed set of physical and mechanical tests which will identify the important characteristics of sliotars in terms of weight, hardness, water absorption, liveliness and so on.
This is necessary because no comprehensive standards exist at present for the manufacture of sliotars. Different materials are used, depending on where it is made.
This can result in subtle differences in performance, depending on wind strength and direction, and the condition of the pitch.
All very academic, one might think, until you come to a closely-fought all-Ireland final. Was the sliotar in this year's contest a Banner baby?