WHAT’S ON THE LINE... EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGY
DOWN TO THE FINAL 2
÷ THE International Football Association Board (IFAB) have trialled eight goal-line technology systems in a bid to avoid injustices such as Frank Lampard’s over-theline ‘goal’ against Germany at the 2010 World Cup.
÷ That’s now been cut to two — and it’s another tale of England versus Germany: Hawk-eye v Goalref.
÷ FIFA will start final tests later this month. The IFAB meet on July 2 to decide whether to give the green light to either system.
÷ The FA have one of the eight votes on the board.
÷ The successful bidder is set to earn at least £100m if their system is implemented.
÷ FIFA want the technology in place for the 2014 World Cup.
HAWK-EYE
÷ THE British-based company are already established in reviewing calls for tennis and cricket.
÷ The system uses cameras around the goal clamped in brackets. It needs 20 in all, 10 at either end of the pitch. ÷ The cameras operate at 140 frames per second to track the run of the ball and can fill in the blanks between data it hasn’t seen — plotting the ball’s route.
÷ While the tennis and cricket cameras are black and white, the football cameras are colour, making them even more accurate.
÷ When cameras detect the ball crossing the line, computer software sends a vibration and alarm to the referee.
÷ Testing began at Reading’s training ground, then Fulham’s Craven Cottage and more recently at Southampton’s St Mary’s.
GOALREF
÷ A TINY chip is inserted in the middle of the ball and sensors are fitted under the turf in the penalty area and behind the goal. ÷ Goalref creates the radio equivalent of a curtain by producing low magnetic fields around the goals. ÷ As soon as the ball has wholly crossed the line, a change in the magnetic field is detected. ÷ An alert is transmitted to the game officials using an encrypted radio signal, with a message displayed on their watches within a second. ÷ The technology can also be used for match and training analysis, generating a real-time 3D visualisation that tracks all movements of the ball and players.
WHAT THE RULES SAY
÷ THE technology must apply solely to the goal line and only to determine whether a goal has been scored.
÷ The system must be accurate and reliable. ÷ The indication of whether a goal has been scored must be immediate and automatically confirmed within one second. ÷ The indication of whether a goal has been scored will be communicated only to match officials.
FIFA RUNNING OUT OF TIME
FIFA’S biggest objection to goal-line technology has always been the accusation that it would waste too much time. That was made to look ridiculous at Wembley where protests caused a delay to the restart. Not only do both of these technologies instantly react to ‘goals’, but there were 66 seconds between Martin Atkinson awarding the Chelsea goal on Sunday and play finally restarting. The technology would have made the correct decision in a fraction of the time.