Goal-line technology closer

[Milan 17,853]

Goal-line technology in football comes closer as Southampton prepare for Hawk-Eye trials

St Mary’s, the home of Southampton, is the setting for a potential revolution in officiating with the testing of goal-line technology in one goalmouth by Winchester-based company Hawk-Eye.

The system is not being used in games, simply giving Hawk-Eye technicians the opportunity to assess camera angles and the computer system before an inspection visit by Fifa, expected in November.

Hawk-Eye has been tried out in football grounds before, notably Fulham's Craven Cottage in 2006, and more recently Reading’s Hogwood Park training ground, but there is now an appetite within Fifa for a full trial of goal-line technology.

Sepp Blatter’s boffins will look at nine versions of the technology before deciding in the spring which will be granted licences.

Hawk-Eye, now owned by Sony (whose European business base is in Basingstoke), are testing cameras that can take 500 frames a second and have installed a multiple-camera system in case the ball is obscured by players on the goal-line.

According to its manufacturers, Hawk-Eye can beam pictures into computers which establish whether the ball has crossed the line. A signal is then sent to the referee within half a second.

The Premier League and the Football Association are watching developments closely as both are keen for the introduction of goal-line technology.

Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany in the 2010 World Cup was merely the latest in a litany of controversies, also including Tottenham’s Pedro Mendes against Manchester United in 2005, Chesterfield’s Jonathan Howard against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in 1997, and most famously Geoff Hurst against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley.

As ever with football, what should be a simple sporting debate is cloaked in financial and political considerations. The cost would be prohibitive for many leagues.

Following the Lampard travesty, Blatter has finally agreed that officials require help, although Uefa’s Michel Platini prefers to keep decision-making a human process.

As events at St Mary’s indicate, goal-line technology is coming, certainly in the major leagues, European competitions, European Championships and World Cup.

The next step will be interesting. Anyone for GPRS tracking offside?

telegraph.co.uk

Finally some movement? Can be only a good thing. And those discussions about all the bloody time this would take are crap. Not even a second and the ref knows.

[manpe 10,861]

It's about the ball crossing the line, nothing about offsides etc. But that's a start I feel if one more Lampard-esque situation happened on high level, it would give the final push.

[Fulham Broadway 16,846]

FIFA regularly block this -even the better Cairos GLT system.

It might have something to do with surveys and studies showing controversy actually generates more interest in the game, than if decisions are clear cut, therfore generating more revenue

[Kojo 4,676]

I don't think they will stop it, they can go on about how it's always been the referee's duty and that's played a part in our long history blah blah blah. But i think they like it because it causes drama, headlines and such when these controversial moments happen, and obviously Fifa are going to like that.

[dave30 728]

i once heard about a system of a tiny chip in the ball which when crossing the line linked up with goalposts which would flash to confirm a goal . Surely its better than stopping and starting with Hawk Eye . Other than goal line i dont think there should be any other form of technology as i feel the game is to stop start already and decisions make talking points to chat about which can only be good .

[Fulham Broadway 16,846]

i once heard about a system of a tiny chip in the ball which when crossing the line linked up with goalposts which would flash to confirm a goal . Surely its better than stopping and starting with Hawk Eye . Other than goal line i dont think there should be any other form of technology as i feel the game is to stop start already and decisions make talking points to chat about which can only be good .

Thats the system that I mentioned above. The concept is good but FIFA dont rate it..

It probably is a question of when not if, but goal line assistants help....

[dave30 728]

Thats the system that I mentioned above. The concept is good but FIFA dont rate it..

It probably is a question of when not if, but goal line assistants help....

Yer sounds like a obvious choice doesn't effect the pace of the game in any way unlike hawk eye .

[Fulham Broadway 16,846]

Yer sounds like a obvious choice doesn't effect the pace of the game in any way unlike hawk eye .

Think FIFA used it for a Youth WC and they deemed it too slow. The reality is that controversy generates more interest and emotion -and they're afraid Football would be too sanitised

[dave30 728]

Think FIFA used it for a Youth WC and they deemed it too slow. The reality is that controversy generates more interest and emotion -and they're afraid Football would be too sanitised

too slow im suprised dont the goalposts just flash instantly when the ball crosses the line ?

[Laylabelle 9,351]

Probably be some excuse why it cant be used....but end of the day they've tried extra officals and all they do is fuck things up anyway and have no clue in a CL league game if the balls gone over or not so least theres a start..just see how long it lasts

[Fulham Broadway 16,846]

Thats true Laylabelle -will probably arrive later than sooner though

too slow im suprised dont the goalposts just flash instantly when the ball crosses the line ?

I dont think it was too slow -its just FIFA dont want it.

They make all the right noises about needing to sort it out, but when you think of a 90 minute match, there must be anything between 20 and 100 incidents that go unnoticed/unpunished.

Theirs and other research has shown that all the controversy generated actually entices people to watch the game more.

[manpe 10,861]

Theirs and other research has shown that all the controversy generated actually entices people to watch the game more.

just like crashes in motosports