By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 5 – Giving the fourth official a greater say in decision-making and another attempt to introduce goalline technology are the main items on the agenda at Saturday’s annual meeting of the International FA Board, the game’s rule-makers comprising FIFA and the four British Home Associations.
Also up for discussion is an initiative to soften the triple punishment of penalty, red card and suspension when players blatantly prevent a goalscoring opportunity in the box .
English and Scottish officials were furious when goalline technology was cynically put on the backburner a couple of years ago in favour of Michel Platini’s pet scheme for two extra officials.
Manufacturers of both Hawkeye – used successfully in tennis and cricket – and the rival microchipped ball system will both make further presentations this morning but Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Gordon Smith is not over-optimistic.
“The problem is cost and how far down the scale it can be implemented,” said Smith.
“What really annoyed me at the time was how much money had been spent on developing these techniques and then they were just put on ice instead of being properly judged.
“We have to see now which system the game needs.”
Platini’s idea has been used in this season’s Europa League group stages but in a recent poll of players, 70 per cent saw no improvement while 90 per cent preferred goalline technology.
Whether football’s lawmakers will take any notice is open to question but Cairos, the German-based manufacturers who are developing the microchipped ball in conjunction with Adidas, are getting more and more irritated by all the foot-dragging.
“I’ll give it a 50-50 chance,” said a Cairos spokesman.
“At the 2007 Club World Cup in Japan where it was an experiment, it was a proven success.
“In a recent survey in Germany, 16 out of 18 managers were in favour of using our technology.
“All the referees also backed it.
“The fact is, we can solve this goalline technology problem if only the IFAB let us.
“One day they must say yes or no.
“We have already invested £15 million on this.”
As far as the fourth official is concerned, The SFA have made a point of putting the item on the agenda as a discussion point.
Week after week, managers up and down the country constantly berate the fourth official but Smith says they are shooting the messenger.
“We believe the fourth official should have more input into decision making,” said Smith.
“At present they can’t give any advice even if they see an off-the-ball incident better than the other officials - which they often do.
“Surely they should be at least allowed to offer an opinion.”
The SFA also want action taken when it comes to injured players being forced to leave the field while receiving treatment, leaving their teammates unfairly disadvantaged.
“We think players who are innocent parties should not have to leave the field immediately the trainer comes on,” Smith said.
“Why should they have to stand on the touchline and be called back on when the guilty party is still on the pitch?”
Also on today’s agenda is a suggestion by FIFA that the triple punishment for offences in the box be reduced.
“My big worry about this is that a player might think he can make a cynical foul because he feels he’s only going to get a yellow,” Smith cautioned.
FIFA gets twice as many votes as the home nations for any changes to be implemented, with July 1 the earliest date any new rules could go through.
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