Method and system for determining whether a spherical element impacts with a component of a playing field, or arranged on or proximate thereto

A method for determining whether a spherical element impacts with a playing field, or with a component arranged on said playing field or proximate to said playing field, said component comprising one of a physical structure, physical marking, or virtual marking, and said playing field being made up of game areas, where the method comprises the steps of:

• a) acquiring, with detection devices comprising at least a plurality of high speed cameras, a sequence of images of at least one area of surveillance of said playing field covering at least part of at least said component and storing the sequence of images on a memory;
• b) performing, by a processor of a computer system operatively connected with said detection devices, when the detected object is indeed a spherical element, an approximate detection of the impact of the spherical element with said component or proximate thereto;
• c) automatically selecting, by the processor in response to said approximate detection, at least one image, from said sequence of images, acquired for a point in time that includes the at least one area of surveillance of the playing field where a bounce takes place and when the bounce takes place;
• and
• d) determining, with the processor, that the spherical element has impacted with said component;
• wherein:
• prior to said approximate detection of the impact of step b), a pre-detection of the passage of the spherical element through at least two points located at different heights is performed with at least the detection devices, and based on said pre-detection, a prediction of the trajectory to be followed by the spherical element towards the ground and a predetermination or predefinition of an approximate area where the impact or bounce will occur is performed by the processor, said pre-detection being performed using at least two detection devices.