Goal-Line Technology will help referees to take right decisions

Goal-line technology is here in English football – the most important alteration to the rules of the game in 150 years, say the Football Association – but it all comes down to a vibrating watch.  That is how Premier League referees will be told the straightforward fact of whether or not the ball has crossed the line.

Greg Dyke, the new chairman of the Football Association, believes it is “inevitable” that the sport will adopt video technology to judge controversial penalty and offside incidents.

British-based Hawk-Eye has been awarded the contract and uses seven cameras per goal to detect the ball and claims its system is "millimeter accurate, ensuring no broadcast replays could disprove the decision". Top-flight clubs voted to adopt the system from this season during a meeting of the 20 Premier League chairmen in April. It will be used in all Premier League games, FA Cup games where the stadiums have the equipment, and at Wembley for the Community Shield and international matches.

Uefa president Michel Platini has previously opposed video technology, claiming it would rob the game of its popularity. Fifa president Sepp Blatter is more receptive and his organisation has tested various systems. The FA have led calls for the introduction of goal-line technology and it will be used on Sunday at Wembley and in the Premier League this season.The officials at the 380 Premier League matches for the forthcoming campaign will be supported by HawkEye’s 14 cameras through its “Goal Decision System” to determine whether a ball has crossed the goal-line.

 

Dyke said that football had to look to other sports — rugby in particular — to embrace technology and the referral of controversial decisions.“There are times when you can’t tell,” he said. “So then you’ll have to make a decision. But I just think you’ve watched television technology come into rugby and tennis and it’s inevitable it’s going to come more into soccer. But the problem with soccer is you don’t want to slow the game down too much.” Dyke added: “I think rugby’s a good example.

If you’re a rugby referee you could never tell if it’s a try or not and you’re asked to make a decision. "It’s still a judgment sometimes (even with the replays) but I think that will come into football. I don’t think it will come in the next two or three years but I think it will over time.” Dyke, who succeeded David Bernstein this summer, has already set himself on a potential collision course with the Premier League by predicting that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will have to move to the winter. 

Dyke said it was impossible to play in Qatar’s summer heat so the tournament either had to move location or timing. Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore has recently said moving the competition to winter would cause “chaos”.