By David Gold
July 22 – FIFA has announced that nine different goal-line technology systems are set to be trialled between September and December by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials, Science and Technology.
“Each company’s respective technology will be scrutinised across a broad range of criteria, in both daylight and floodlit conditions,” a spokesperson for FIFA said.
The trials will be taking place in Europe, with the International Football Association Board (IFAB) studying the results in March.
The best systems will be invited to take part in a second round of trials, and IFAB will potentially approve a successful system next July.
IFAB, which is composed of the four British Associations and four FIFA officials, last year ruled out using goal-line technology after two systems were tested.
On that occasion, the English and Scottish FAs voted in favour of the technology, but the other six votes went against them.
FIFA decided to rethink the issue though after England’s defeat to Germany in last summer’s World Cup.
At 2-1 down, England’s Frank Lampard had a goal ruled out, despite appearing to cross the line, which replays confirmed.
The candidates must prove that their technology meets 100 per cent accuracy for free shots on goal and that the referee knows within a second whether the ball has crossed the line or not.
FIFA said that the message should be relayed “with both a vibration and visual signal required to be sent to the referee’s watch.
“This indication must be received wherever the referee is positioned on the field of play, or within the technical areas.”
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said that the technology could be used for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, though UEFA President Michel Platini prefers the use of additional assistant referees instead of technology.
Blatter has said the technology could be in place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, though that plan will be opposed by the UEFA president Michel Platini.
He favours employing additional assistant referees beside each goal.
The announcement comes after Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore spoke earlier this week of his hope that goal line technology would be in place for the 2012-13 season.
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