3rd goal-line tech system approved
CONCACAF backs plan
ZURICH, Feb 25, (Agencies): A third goal-line technology system has been approved and granted a licence, making it eligible to be considered for use at the 2014 World Cup, FIFA said in a statement on Monday.
The German-manufactured Cairos system uses magnetic fields set up around the goals to determine whether or not the ball has crossed the line in situations where it is not clear to the naked eye.
A fourth system, also developed in Germany, is also under consideration.
The systems previously approved are Hawk-Eye, which is used in tennis and cricket and is based on optical recognition with cameras, and GoalRef, which also uses a magnetic field with a special ball.
FIFA approved the use of goal-line technology last year following a number of controversial incidents where teams had legitimate goals disallowed because officials wrongly decided the ball had not crossed the line.
Last week FIFA confirmed the technology would be used in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup after a successful trial.
European soccer’s governing body UEFA has yet to adopt goal-line technology, preferring to employ an extra linesman behind each goal.
The CONCACAF football body is backing FIFA’s proposal to restrict future presidents to eight years in office, and 12 years for executive committee members.
CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, says it fully endorses a 10-point plan suggested by a FIFA working group on anti-corruption reforms which meets Tuesday in Zurich.
UEFA is opposed to the plan, and wants a 12-year limit on the FIFA pres-
Match-fixing bans on 58 Chinese soccer officials and players will be extended worldwide, the sport’s governing body FIFA said on Monday.
The 58 were banned by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on Feb. 18 following a three-year push to clean up rampant corruption in the sport in China.
“The sanctions by the Chinese Football Association’s disciplinary committee involve players and officials, with 25 receiving a five-year ban from all football activities while the remaining 33 individuals were banned from all football activities for life,” a FIFA statement said.
“The Chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has extended the sanctions to have worldwide effect.
“In taking those sanctions and notifying FIFA of them, the CFA has emphasised its on-going commitment to stamping out all forms of match-fixing and corruption in the game.”
China’s Xinhua news agency reported last week that the 58 included two former football chiefs who were jailed in June for accepting bribes in a scandal.
Nan Yong, the former head of Chinese football, was sentenced to 10 and a half years for taking bribes worth more than 1.48 million yuan ($237,500) while his predecessor Xie Yalong received an identical sentence and was also fined 200,000 yuan.
Former CFA deputy head Yang Yimin and World Cup referee Lu Jun, once hailed as China’s “Golden Whistle”, were also among the 33 banned from football for life.
Others included four former Chinese national team players Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin and Li Ming, all jailed for up to six years in June for match-fixing.
The sentences “followed investigations and trials conducted by Chinese judicial authorities between 2010 and 2012 in which the Chinese Football Association (CFA) cooperated fully,” FIFA added. idency and no term limits on FIFA board members.
FIFA’s suggested plan falls short of wider-ranging proposals requested by its advisory group led by Swiss law professor Mark Pieth.
CONCACAF includes 40 football countries, though just 35 are full FIFA members with voting rights. The reform slate will be decided at the FIFA congress in Mauritius on May 31.