subject: Between The Lines: FIFA's Goal Line Technology [print this page] Between The Lines: FIFA's Goal Line Technology
Soccer's rule-making body IFAB laid down four basic conditions as it confirmed that it was re-opening discussions goal-line technology.
Having the International Football Association Board met in Wales, they set a deadline of Nov. 20 2010 for companies to present their products and the next decision will be taken this weekend (first w-end March 2011).
Start 2010, the IFAB had ruled out the use of technology. But following a World Cup match when England had a goal disallowed against Germany where replays clearly showed the ball had crossed the line after bouncing down from the crossbar, FIFA president Sepp Blatter asked it to reconsider.
In one of its statements, FIFA said that the technology would apply solely to the goal line, and only to determine whether a goal has been scored or not; that the system must be accurate; the indication of whether a goal had been scored must confirmed within one second; and the result would only be communicated to the match officials.
FIFA commented that "The application of modern technologies can be very costly, and therefore not applicable on a global level. Many matches are not even televised. We have close to 900 preliminary matches for the World Cup, and the same rules need to be applied in all matches of the same competition. The rules need to be the same for all association football matches worldwide."
I doubt anybody is talking about there being any different rules governing the game from one event to the next. The rules suggest that if the ball hits the crossbar and bounces three feet over the goal-line somebody has probably scored a goal. I am guessing this rule is the same everywhere.
What we are suggesting isn't the application of different rules but the different application of the same rules, which is another matter entirely. FIFA seems to be aware of this. For example, match officials at the World Cup get to chat to each other through fancy headsets, provided to help them get their decisions right. They work in teams, all of them from the same country, to aid their communication and teamwork.
So what's preventing us from applying this technology? Stick a camera in the goal. Put some chips in the ball. Scatter a few more officials around the touchline. However you want to do it, lets get the big calls right at the big events.
And here comes FIFA's "strong" argument: "The human aspect of football is essential to this sport," Jonathan Ford of the Welsh FA said after he participated in FIFA's decision last year. "We were all agreed that technology shouldn't enter football because we want football to remain human, which is what makes it great," added Patrick Nelson of the Irish FA.
Doesn't make sense to me! So FIFA is prioritising the expression of humanity over all else? Nothing in the game is as pure, as human, as a footballer's reaction to scoring a goal. Regardless of this, FIFA are happy to allow goals scored and not counting. Pure hypocrisy.
It's hard to figure out why FIFA is so much insisting on an old-fashioned belief which continues to bring the game into disrepute. Surely at the very highest level World Cup finals, the Champions League final, a handful of key events everything must be done to prevent goals from being awarded or denied and matches from being decided in error.
Let technology be used on a testing basis to decide instantly when the ball crosses the goal-line between the posts and under the bar, and all goals and straight red cards to be reviewed immediately by a TV official who can overturn any glaring errors made by the referee or his assistants. Any decision close enough to require multiple replays should be left unchanged. That's it. No additional stoppages, no lack of humanity, no appeals, no problems.
Any better ideas? For more ideas and suggestions check this out.
