Share

Goal-line tests this month

Wembley - The final phase of goal-line technology tests will begin later this month before football's rule-makers make a definitive decision in July, FIFA announced on Sunday after another high-profile controversy.

Chelsea reached the FA Cup final with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham, with replays indicating that Juan Mata's shot never crossed the line for Chelsea's second goal.

The International Football Association Board, the game's rule-making body, last month approved two systems to go into a second round of testing in match scenarios before either can be sanctioned for use in competitive fixtures at a meeting on July 2.

"The latest planning meeting for test phase two was held on Friday, and the second phase of tests will commence before end of April, and will continue throughout May," FIFA said in a statement.

IFAB must be satisfied with the speed and accuracy of Hawk-Eye or GoalRef before high-tech aids for referees can be deployed in football for the first time.

Sony Corp.'s Hawk-Eye is a camera-based ball-tracking system successfully deployed in tennis and cricket. GoalRef, owned by a German-Danish company, uses a magnetic field with a special ball.

Both systems send a signal within a second of the ball crossing the line to the referee, who will retain the power to make the final call.

In Sunday's game at Wembley Stadium, television replays quickly indicated that Mata's shot at the start of the second half didn't cross the line when it was bundled clear by Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who was lying on the turf on the goal line in a scramble.

Even Chelsea players later accepted the goal should not have been given.

"We've been calling for goal-line technology for a very long time," Chelsea defender John Terry said. "Let's hope that people make the right decisions (on approving it)."

FIFA's support for goal-line technology had wavered until a high-profile blunder at the 2010 World Cup involving Terry's England convinced President Sepp Blatter that any further embarrassments had to be avoided at major tournaments.

A shot by Chelsea's Frank Lampard in a game against Germany at the World Cup in South Africa bounced off the crossbar and landed beyond the goal line but did not count as England was knocked out of the competition.

FIFA is hopeful one of the systems will be ready for use at the Club World Cup in December in Japan, but the Premier League hopes it could fast-track technology into its 20 grounds before the new season starts in July.

IFAB is comprised of the four British associations plus four FIFA delegates, with six votes required to approve a change to the rules.

Martin Atkinson, the FIFA-accredited referee who awarded the FA Cup semi-final goal on Sunday, will be one of UEFA's goal-line assistants for Howard Webb at the June 8-July 1 European Championship.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1798 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1754 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1061 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 448 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 184 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
4% - 246 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE