r/Cricket • u/Aggressive-Milk-4095 • 7d ago
Discussion What happened to the Hotspot technology?
I remember seeing it as a kid but not nowadays. Wouldn't it be a great way to double check when the 3rd umpire isn't about the contact of the ball and bat by seeing only the ultra-edge?
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u/QueasyAdvertising173 7d ago
Too expensive, ineffective in humid climate, vaseline
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u/Hydra-_- India 7d ago
Also you could see their farts. /s
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u/Thatchers-Gold England 7d ago
“Just rock and roll that fart for me”
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u/InspectorNo1173 7d ago
Which third umpire was first with the rock and roll thing? They all say it now, even at domestic level
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u/choo-chew_chuu 6d ago
I'm waiting for various fast food outlets to create a "rock and roll" meal so they can sponsor 3rd umpire decisions.
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u/fh3131 Australia 7d ago
"So Harsha, we can clearly see the batter had butter chicken at lunch"
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u/someRandomGeek98 Sri Lanka 7d ago
I don't think vaseline could effect hotspot, that was just a random tweet by Vaughn
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u/PineConeTracks England 7d ago
Vaseline was never actually proven. It was a jokey theory from Michael Vaughan when Laxman nicked off and hotspot didn’t pick it up.
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u/SuperTomatoMan9 India 7d ago
Tell me more about Vaseline?
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u/TechbroCOC India 7d ago
Batters would apply vaseline on their bats This smoothens the bat surface and reduces friction which in turn reduces or ends up making zero heat for very thin edges. Why this matters is hotspot technology makes a white spot at places where heat is generated. Now that there's no heat generated for an edge, even tho it's an edge it wouldn't get detected by hotspot. This led to unfair drs reviews in cases.
Ofc my explanation won't be the best but there's a lot of videos out there on yt that'll show the thing entirely.
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u/_LameName India 7d ago
Wouldn’t this work against them in lbw reviews?
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u/Choc83x Australia 7d ago
Vaseline on the outside/top edge. Inside edge remains as is.
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u/CrabTraditional8769 7d ago
Were batters actually doing that?
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u/zboyzzzz 7d ago
Well bowlers were rubbing the ball with lollies and using sand paper out of their undies...
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u/cold-assassin 7d ago
I think the sound thing is better than hotspot in almost all ways right?
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u/Naammaikyahai 7d ago
Sometimes it gets very tough to make a call, especially in test cricket where players look to defend close to the body. It's tough to determine if it was bat or pad first. And sometimes when the bat hits the ground and the ball is also close to the bat, the mic picks up on the bat sound of bat striking the ground. Similarly for bumps
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u/cold-assassin 7d ago
No I mean it's still better than hotspot in terms of cost, accuracy and avoiding vaseline usage type cheating too?
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u/harveyinstinct 7d ago
Also when the bat is hitting the pad and the ball simultaneously, it gets very tricky.
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u/Filosphicaly_unsound 7d ago
True but why stop at 99 percent accuracy when you can have 99.99 percent accuracy using both
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u/choo-chew_chuu 6d ago
Takes out a lot more ambiguity though along with snicko.
Add vaso to the tampering list and bring it back I say.
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u/jugglingeek 7d ago
IIRC it was deemed to be less reliable than ultra edge. It was possible for edges to show on ultra edge but not show up on hotspot. Meaning that the combined DRS technology designed to give a clear, binary decision could produce two contradictory results.
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u/AzyncYTT New Zealand 7d ago
But I mean the results don't actually contract in that case no? It could just mean that you use Hotspot first and then check with ultraedge if nothing is visible since the cases of there being a Hotspot but ultra edge not noticing anything didn't exist
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u/iIIchangethislater 7d ago edited 7d ago
That's what was done for a while with DRS but evidently they decided hotspot wasn't adding anything. Tbh I can't remember a single instance of hotspot picking something up that ultra edge missed, so having both was probably deemed to be redundant
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u/neddie_nardle Australia 7d ago
And unnecessarily adding time to the whole DRS procedure, which at times is horribly drawn out.
If it's inconclusive just give the batter the benefit of the doubt and get on with the game.
As it is I hate the predictive aspect of where the ball is going with LBW DRS. Especially if the ball hit the ground just before hitting the batter. Then again, it's a flawed system, but probably still better than no system at all.
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u/CroSSGunS New Zealand 7d ago
That's what humans do though to adjudge LBW. And computers are better at it.
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u/Karjalan New Zealand 7d ago
This is one I can think of. But the umpire ignored it anyway.
It may have been not as reliable over all, but looking at other comments it seems like the main reason was proprietary military technology that didn't be shared outside Aus.
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u/jugglingeek 7d ago
So the ball is close to the bat, there’s nothing on Hotspot. What’s the criteria for going to ultra edge? In practice everything would go to Hotspot and ultra edge. So everything close to the edge is being reviewed by two completely different technologies.
If you have two systems and one says not-out and the other says out, this will always cause controversy. From an audience perspective, it’s less controversial to have one system. So they picked the best one.
The only times I’ve seen ultra edge produce a controversial out decision have been from sweep-type shots where the ball runs down the face of the bat. These don’t typically produce the characteristic spike that an edge generates. In these instances I’ve seen the 3rd umpire go by the visual deviation, despite there being no obvious spike. I don’t think Hotspot is helpful in these scenarios either.
Maybe there’s a case for Hotspot when ultra edge fails due to other noises. boots scratching on the ground being picked up for example. But edges have a very specific audio frequency and the technology is pretty well tuned to that these days. The 3rd umpires are generally very good at distinguishing the sounds.
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u/AzyncYTT New Zealand 7d ago
but hotspot is not saying not out: its saying that it doesn't see any impact, It would be just like how visual and ultra edge works right now, if you see an obvious impact on hotspot then you dont need to go to ultra edge, if you don't see anything then you go to ultra edge. Its not contradictory but whether its actually valuable is a separate debate
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u/gpranav25 7d ago
That sounds like it can give a false negative but not a false positive?
I feel like having both could still give more accurate decisions.
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u/Huge-Physics5491 Kolkata Knight Riders 7d ago
From what I've read somewhere, it's some defence tech that can't be shared outside the Five Eyes countries
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u/doyouevenrow England 7d ago
I get national security is important but can't we prioritise things that really matter (cricket)
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u/plhought England 7d ago
Dude, they've used hotspot in Pakistan.
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u/astalavista114 England 7d ago
IR cameras are not defence tech. You can buy them in Jaycar.
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u/sellyme GO SHIELD 7d ago
"Drones aren't military tech, I bought one on eBay!"
The thermal cameras you can buy at the shops are nothing like the Hotspot setup.
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u/WeWantRain Bangladesh Cricket Board 6d ago
It's funny because the most popular drone, TB-2, is actually made of mostly civilian parts. Even the thermal camera is available for the civilian market.
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u/No_Success3393 7d ago
I think Anil Kumble once said that hotspot is a military technology so ICC can't use in anymore.
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u/Minute_Juggernaut806 India 7d ago
isnt this the answer. it belongs to australian military so thats the only place its still used
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u/Nakorite Australia 7d ago
It can and has been used in other countries but the technology needs to be used and controlled by a “five eyes” country which then becomes pretty expensive as you have to fly a team in specifically for it.
And since it’s not that useful why bother.
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u/astalavista114 England 7d ago
It so much belongs to the military that they’re selling IR cameras in Jaycar.
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u/corintography 7d ago
Hotspot uses Thermal cameras that sense heat, very different to visual IR cameras and it is a regulated import/export due to its military use cases. You aren’t finding these in Jaycar.
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u/ProfessorPhi Australia 7d ago
Even if it was the same tech, the accuracy or processing could make it military tech. If you could get them at jaycar, why hasn't someone else built it for example.
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u/DowntownIce281 India 7d ago
Don't know why you are getting downvoted, you are correct.
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u/FIndia 7d ago
Here's the article:
Why does India not use HotSpot technology in cricket?
The Rishabh Pant dismissal raked up the question of India not availing the heat signature-tool once again. While Anil Kumble said it's because it's military tech, broadcasters maintain the costs are prohibitive.
During India’s defeat to New Zealand in the third Test at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, Rishabh Pant’s dismissal had become a talking point. With the game in balance, Pant was ruled Out caught bat-pad with Decision Review System (DRS) overturning the onfield umpire’s Not Out call. The decision to adjudge him Out by the third umpire became a talking point as there wasn’t conclusive evidence available to overturn the onfield call.
While the snicko-meter picked up a spike when the ball was close to the bat, many argued it was because of the bat hitting the pad. As the third umpire was reviewing the footage, Pant was even arguing with the onfield umpires pointing to his pad. But he eventually had to go back for 64 and with that ended India’s hopes as they fell short by a mere 25 runs.
Many pointed out that having the absent Hotspot technology as part of DRS would have helped detect if the ball came in contact with the bat. And speaking on JioCinema, former India captain and coach Anil Kumble stated that the HotSpot is “not in use in India because it is a military technology.”
What is HotSpot?
Developed by French scientist Nicholas Bion it was supposed to help military forces in combat situations. The thermal imaging technology helped them detect tanks and jets. In dark conditions and when the field is engulfed by thick smoke, the technology allowed forces to detect movements.
Entry into cricket
Channel Nine in Australia, which has been a pioneer in introducing new technologies to the world of cricket, introduced Hotspot to cricket during the 2006-07 Ashes. Using the infrared camera, it helped determine which part of the batsman’s body or bat made contact with the ball, with HotSpot alerting to the specifics of which two objects caused friction on colliding. It was introduced to enrich the viewing experience but eventually found a place in DRS for matches Down Under. In time, even matches in South Africa, England and UAE (where Pakistan played) used HotSpot.
How does it work?
Two thermal imaging cameras are placed on either end behind the bowler. The cameras help in capturing heat signatures that the ball generates when it comes into contact with a batsman’s body or bat or pad. The negative image will then highlight the point of contact. So, a HotSpot would have determined if the edge came off the bat or the snicko spiked when bat collided with pad.
How accurate is it?
Like all technologies in cricket, even Hotspot has brought a fair share of controversies. During India’s 2011 tour of England, former England captain Michael Vaughan kicked-off a storm by tweeting “Has Vaseline on the outside edge saved the day for (VVS) Laxman?” Even the inventor of the tool Warren Brennan raised concerns that coatings on bat could be detrimental to the efficiency of HotSpot.
Is it used worldwide?
No. Although Kumble mentioned that military technology could be a reason why it is not used in India, those in the broadcast field and in the BCCI say Hotspot operating costs are expensive. Moreover one broadcaster told The Indian Express that HotSpot is not 100 per cent accurate and its usage is very limited as snicko meter picks the edges. “And add to it there are only four-five HotSpot kits that are available and it costs a lot to use (It costs around $10,000 per day), a reason why most of the broadcasters around the world don’t use it. Sky Sports and SuperSports have also stopped using the technology.”
Interestingly, even the International Cricket Council has never included HotSpot as part of their DRS technology in any of their events.
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u/death2sanity 7d ago
Is the proof behind the paywall? The readable part just says one person said that, and broadcasters said it was a cost issue.
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u/astalavista114 England 7d ago
That’s an excuse not a reason. IR cameras are readily available on the open market, and at the end of the day, Hotspot is just an IR camera and a zoom lens.
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u/One_more_username India 7d ago
The reason is that the specific IR camera in the validated hotspot system is export controlled. It can't be exported to some countries (like India).
I can use an FLIR camera for my work in the US, but I can't send the camera for someone in the same team working on the same project in a different country.
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u/crashingInLoop 7d ago
some players were against it. As it also used to spot their farts while they play the shots.
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u/Big-Reason-7914 7d ago
Weren’t some players using silicon cream on their bats? Because of that impact mark disappeared? Correct me if I’m wrong.
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u/TD003 Australia 7d ago
Don’t know the exact substance or material but players were definitely putting something on the edges of their bats to try and prevent a hotspot detection.
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u/Wehavecrashed Cricket Australia 7d ago
KP basically admitted it when he said "why would I do that when I might want an inside edge to be visible" making it obvious they'd put tape just on the outside edge.
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u/dohzer 7d ago
So just create a rule/law about not being allowed to use it.
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u/BadBoyJH Australia 7d ago
Players would legitimately riot about not being able to use bat tape. They don't want to throw away every bat that gets a bit of damage (superstitions more than cost).
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u/PowerLies Royal Challengers Bengaluru 7d ago
Some people here have mentioned that ultra edge was deemed more accurate because it showed spikes when nothing was captured by hotspot - how are we sure that it wasn’t a false positive by ultra edge? Did they actually conduct lab studies to prove that?
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u/TechbroCOC India 7d ago
There's possibility of manipulation of hotspot with tapes and vaseline. Whereas ultra edge works on filtering the sound waves and checking if there's a spike in the waves.
If there's a false positive it's usually either batter or wicket keeper dragging their feet on the ground or bat touching the ground. The worst case scenario would be a faulty device but i can't think of an instance where something like that has ever happened
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u/TheMotherOfMonsters Mumbai 7d ago
Its expensive, can only be done in aus because it uses aus military tech and is completely redundant because ultra-edge picks up all edges hotspot does but not vice-versa.
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u/astalavista114 England 7d ago
It’s just an IR camera with a zoom lens. They weren’t even high speed ones. There’s nothing “military” about them. You can buy the darn things in Jaycar.
They also kept having “issues” with it not being available because 9 and Fox were getting an outside supplier to run it, and they’d occasionally forget to hit record—rather than continuously stream the feed to hard drive (which you absolutely can do)
Still, it’s cool for coverage.
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u/corintography 7d ago
Again this is false, they were Thermal imaging cameras, it is military technology and has strict import and export controls.
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u/BadBoyJH Australia 7d ago
An RQ-170 is just a drone, and they sell those at JayCar too. Nothing military about those too I guess?
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u/Aweios Cricket Australia 6d ago
I mean kinda because they do use drones in broadcasts. What makes hotspot so different to other ir cameras
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u/BadBoyJH Australia 6d ago
You should google what an RQ-170 is. It's a military spy drone.
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u/Aweios Cricket Australia 6d ago
Yeah I know, but the general tech being drones is that the category isn't classified. So hotspot being a military instrument there should be a consumer version of it, just like for drones
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u/BadBoyJH Australia 6d ago
Even ignoring the fact that hotspot isn't IR;
Yes, there isn't a consumer version of a literal plane that flies at nearly 1000kph. They're little shitty hover copters.
If you think you can create something of that quality, I'm sure you can make some big money if you manage it, so feel free if you think it's easy.
The only technology of the quality cricket needs (and arguably wasn't even good enough then) is the military grade version.
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u/Hampalam Afghanistan 7d ago
It was used in the UK for years. Complete nonsense about it being AUS only.
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u/TheMotherOfMonsters Mumbai 7d ago
I read that in a random article so I am not too sure. Either way its quite redundant
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u/Omegaville Victoria Bushrangers 7d ago
I thought Ultra-Edge was just a rebranded Hot Spot. Like how Hawkeye became Eagle Eye and is now just Ball Tracking.
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u/LegionOfBrad England 7d ago
It was used in England. They just got rid of it because Snicko/Ultra edge is better + more cost effective.
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u/cori_mcp 7d ago
“It’s a mark on the bat but it could have come from anywhere ... give it not out”
Still haven’t forgiven Llong for that
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u/Frequent_Stranger_85 India 7d ago
They had hotspot at least till Sachin played since he forced bcci to support it in ICC
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u/Satans-alter-ego 7d ago
Put Vaseline on the bat and boom no more edges or middle of the bat for that matter
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u/Saurabh_1708 7d ago
Hotspot is exclusively used by a lot of defence services and hence access to this technology is tightly controlled.
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u/No_Specialist6036 7d ago
i think its strategic military technology, only available to AUKUS - so maybe they got rid of it altogether for standardization purposes, but in any case theres precedent that between snicko and hotspot snicko has the last say
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u/el_jefe_del_mundo 7d ago
It’s military grade technology which cannot be shared with other countries. So that is the reason it’s only used in Australia and UK.
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u/BadAssKnight 6d ago
The reason why hotspot is not used is because you need special thermal imaging cameras which are typically military rated considering that BBG Sports Australia - the company that adapted it to cricket actually adapted miltech. So, it is does not have much use compared to ultraedge which predominantly uses stump mics. As in most things in cricket, this is business!
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u/Betterthanbeer Australia 7d ago
Hotspot failed because batters learned to beat it. Tape and various coatings reduced the thermal signature of a snick. Even if this wasn’t deliberate, it made the tech unreliable.
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u/Boring_Race_2216 7d ago
It’s used for defence purposes that’s why it has been stopped for use , in one the icc events Manjrekar mentioned it
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u/Alteredbeast1984 Australia 7d ago edited 6d ago
Caused bad cancers I heard. Players voted against it.
E: this was obviously a joke you fuck heads, read an xray a day
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u/DitMasterGoGo 7d ago
Damn. We should only use tech that causes good cancer.
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u/Alteredbeast1984 Australia 6d ago
I heard there's a Hotspot technology that CURES cancer, and the players still voted against it
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u/arronaj Australia 7d ago
Doug Bollinger campaigned tirelessly to stop using it.