Fifa Approves World Cup Goal-line Tech
FIFA has confirmed that goal-line technology will be used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, after the system was successfully trialled at the Club World Cup last year, with tenders now invited to provide the ground-breaking system.
Football’s governing body also confirmed that the technology will be used at the 2013 Confederations Cup, as well as the World Cup a year later.
It is long believed that UEFA president Michel Platini is in favour of the use of five match officials, a system which has been used in the Champions League and the Europa League, however FIFA’s Sepp Blatter initially opposed goal-line technology but changed his mind after Frank Lampard had a legitimate goal ruled out in England’s 4-1 defeat by Germany at the 2010 World Cup.
Other sports have been much quicker to embrace technology to help officials make correct decisions, with it now widely used in tennis, cricket and rugby.
Goalref and Hawkeye were the two systems previously trialled by FIFA, however the organisation has invited other companies to apply to supply the technology, with two German firms also expected to bid. The tender likely to be awarded by early April.
Hawk-Eye uses cameras based around the ground, while GoalRef involves a low-frequency magnetic field surrounding the goal and an electronic circuit in the ball, with goal confirmation being transmitted in a fraction of a second to a watch worn by the referee.
A FIFA statement said: ‘The aim is to use GLT in order to support the match officials and to install a system in all stadia, pending the successful installation, and pre-match referee tests.’
