Goal-line Technology to be Re-examined

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), assembled in a meeting held today in Celtic, Wales to discuss issues concerning the Goal-line technology. Discussion about proposed amendment of some existing Law of the Game also took place. The association has agreed to re-open the discussion concerning the implementation of Goal-line technology.

In respect to re-opening of Goal-line technology discussions, IFAB has set a deadline of November end for all the companies to present their technology to FIFA. Technologies fulfilling the principles agreed upon by the IFAB will be subjected to test before the 125th AGM of IFAB in Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales on 4-6 March 2011. Further decision regarding the Goal-line will be taken only then.

The Principles agreed upon by the IFAB members are as follows:
- The technology would apply solely to the goal line, and only to determine whether a goal has been scored or not;
- The system must be accurate;
- 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 only be communicated to the match officials.

The IFAB also heard an update on the eight additional assistant referee system currently under experiment in UEFA, the French Football Association, the Moroccan Football Association and the Qatar Football Association. IFAB in a special meeting held in July 2010 approved the eight additional assistant referee experiments. “Further experiments will commence in other competitions in 2011 in Côte d’Ivoire, Mexico and Brazil. One experiment within the AFC President’s Cup has already been concluded. The experiment phase will continue until the conclusion of the 2011/2012 season”, reads the FIFA Official Website.