SOCCER:GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGY to confirm whether or not the ball has crossed the line was approved by world soccer's rule makers yesterday, ending a decade of debate and controversy. The International Football Association Board (Ifab) approved the use of two different technology systems which FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said would be used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The technology is set to be introduced into English football as early as the new year. The Premier League will enter into talks with Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, the two manufacturers of the systems, about bringing it in as soon as midway through the season, and it could also be used for the coming season’s FA Cup semi-finals and final.
FA general secretary Alex Horne said the Hawk-Eye system installed at Wembley for a trial last month is still there – and could be switched on, tested and licensed for FA Cup and perhaps England matches at Wembley.
Horne said: “It is perfectly possible to introduce it halfway through the season. We have already got Hawk-Eye at Wembley. It needs to be calibrated and make sure it’s working properly and licensed so we are nearly there and we could turn Hawk-Eye on quite quickly.
“The FA Cup would be our decision and we could say for the semi-finals and finals of the FA Cup we could turn it on, I don’t think that is a very controversial decision. England is harder because we are part of someone else’s competition so we would need Fifa to agree that we could use that in that qualification campaign.
“”We need to go back and talk to the Premier League. Everything I hear is that they want it. We might as well agree which one we want to buy and then nail a deal together.”
Fifa president Sepp Blatter admitted he had changed his mind about goal-line technology after Frank Lampard’s ‘goal’ for England v Germany in the 2010 World Cup was missed, and the need for a system was highlighted again in Euro 2012 after Ukraine were denied a goal against England despite the ball crossing the line.
Blatter said: “For me as Fifa president it became evident the moment what happened in South Africa in 2010. I have to say ‘thank you Lampard’. I was completely down in South Africa when I saw that, it really shocked me, it took me a day to react. It happened again in Ukraine, and Ukraine can still not believe it now.”
Blatter insisted however that there would be no move to introduce any video replays or other technology to rule on other decisions such as offsides, fouls or diving. He said: “Other than the goal-line technology, football must preserve its human face.”
Horne added: “Goal-line technology is where this starts and finishes for us. None of us think technology interfering with the free-flowing nature of football is good for the game.”
English FA chairman David Bernstein also hailed the decision, saying: “I think it is a momentous day and I’m proud to have been part of this decision-making.”
The first introduction of the systems will be at Fifa’s Club World Cup in Japan in December with each system in one of the two stadiums. It will then be extended to next year’s Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said Fifa would pay for the systems – around €120,000 to €200,000 per stadium – and leave them in place in the stadiums after the tournaments.
The systems will have to tested after they are installed in each stadium to make sure they are working properly before they are licensed for use. Ifab also approved Uefa’s system of having two additional assistant referees, one next to each goal, with the competition organisers allowed to use them if they so wished.
Uefa president Michel Platini is a fierce opponent of technology so it looks certain the Champions League will continue to use extra officials and goal-line technology will not be used even if the systems are available in the stadiums.
Ifab also agreed to allow headscarves to be worn by players after requests from some Muslim countries and a decision on the design and colour of the scarves will be made later this year.
Ifab ruled out any video replays of goal-line decisions being shown on TV or on big screens to the crowd at stadiums, as happens with Hawk-Eye in tennis. Jonathan Ford, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, stressed that the referee had the final say on awarding a goal and pointed out that hel might decide to rule it out for other reasons even if the technology showed the ball had crossed the line.
“If a giant screen comes up ‘goal’ but it is offside then that could have a major issue with crowd management,” said Ford.
Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan added: “This is not designed to be put on giant screens. This is about technology designed to help the referee.”
Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson said the three decisions would “resonate around the world”.
Goal-line technology: the two international FA board approved systems
Hawk-Eye
It is a device developed by British company Hawk-Eye, now a Sony subsidiary, and already has systems in use for tennis and cricket.
Six or seven high-speed cameras at both ends of the stadium, mounted on the roof, track the ball in flight while a computer calculates its location, sending a message to a receiver worn by the match officials when it is out of bounds. The only issue is whether Hawk-Eye cameras would work in the rare instance of the ball being covered by the goalkeeper's body. The system is expected to be approved by the International Football Association Board but the installation cost is likely to be relatively high.
Fifa have insisted, initially at least, that the pictures would not be shown on TV or stadium screens after any controversial incident. Only the officials would be alerted as to whether the ball had crossed the line or not.
GoalRef
A joint Danish-German system, GoalRef uses magnetic fields to detect whether the ball has crossed the line.
Three magnetic strips are placed inside the outer lining of the ball, between the bladder and the outer casing. When the ball crosses the line these are detected by sensors inside the goalposts and crossbar.
The sensors emit electronic waves which are disrupted when the ball crosses the line. A computer then sends a message to the match officials' watch receivers in less than a second.
Installation costs should be lower than Hawk-Eye but still significant. There remains possible problems over deals with manufacturers to allow the magnetic strips inside their balls, but GoalRef have already been in contact with the manufacturers.
What might have been: Ghost goals and some that never were
Geoff Hurst
(England v West Germany, 1966)
The most famous was-it-over-the-line goal of all time came in the 1966 World Cup final when Hurst's shot hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down.
Referee Gottfried Dienst was unsure whether it had crossed the line but assistant Tofik Bahramov gave it, England led 3-2 and went on to win 4-2, with Hurst completing his hat-trick. Bahramov earned notoriety as the Russian linesman, although he was actually from Azerbaijan and the national stadium in Baku is named after him.
Clive Allen
(Coventry v Crystal Palace, 1980)
The Crystal Palace striker let fly with a free-kick from 25 yards that arrowed into the top corner. But it hit the stanchion inside the goal and flew straight back out, and both referee and linesman ruled it was not a goal.
Luis Garcia
(Liverpool v Chelsea, 2005)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho coined the term "ghost goal" after Garcia was adjudged to have forced the ball over the line in their Champions League semi-final. Mourinho made reference to it again this season ahead of Real Madrid's semi-final against Bayern Munich, which the Germans won.
Pedro Mendes
(Manchester Utd v Tottenham, 2005)
There looked little danger when Spurs' Mendes tried a speculative shot from near the halfway line towards the United goal, but Roy Carroll spilled it. The goalkeeper made a lunge to retrieve the ball and referee Mark Clattenburg did not award a goal. The game finished 0-0.
John Eustace
(Watford v Reading, 2008)
Eustace's shot went wide of the Reading goal before Noel Hunt hooked it back into play but assistant referee Nigel Bannister flagged for a goal and referee Stuart Attwell awarded it.
Frank Lampard
(England v Germany, 2010)
England were trailing Germany 2-1 in the last 16 of the World Cup in South Africa when Lampard unleashed a shot that hit the underside of the bar and clearly bounced down over the line, but it was not given and Germany went on to win 4-1.
Juan Mata
(Chelsea v Tottenham, 2012)
Martin Atkinson awarded Chelsea a goal that put them into a 2-0 lead in this year's FA Cup semi-final despite Benoit Assou-Ekotto appearing to block the ball on the line. The Blues went on to win 5-1 at Wembley.
Marko Devic
(Ukraine v England, 2012)
England were on the right side of a decision at Euro 2012 when Marko Devic's shot appeared to have crossed the line before John Terry hooked it out, but it was not given and England won the game 1-0.
