Goal-line technology Coming Soon™ in the stadiums near you!
The International Football Association Board will vote in March 2012, whether or not to pass this new system. However this is just one of the conditions for the Goal-line technology to kick in. As usual things are much more complicated than that.
So the first step is the IFAB to approve the technology and “allow” the use of it. Then FIFA’s boss Sepp Blatter has to give his permission as well. Apparently his opinion on this topic is, if the technology gets accepted, AND it’s affordable and accurate leagues can start using it from season 2012/2013.
Richard Scudamore (Premier League’s boss) is in favor of the system, and has said that the Premier League will start using it, as soon as it’s allowed. A while ago Sepp Blatter was totally opposed for this new technology, but when Frank Lampard’s goal was discredited, in WC 2010, in the game Germany v England (4:1), Blatter apologized for the referee’s error and brought back the debate.
Most argument until now have been that if this new system gets implemented, the “human factor” of the game will be not present. But seriously if the “human factor” leads to non-existing goals, and discrediting legitimate ones what’s the point of it? I have always been for the goal-line technology as accuracy of the decisions in a game have always played a role in its outcome.
This is the goal in World Cup 2010 that was discredited, and brought back the debate on the goal-line technology:
You can see how deep IN the ball was, it’s not even on the line or close to it. With England losing 1:2, this could have been an equalizer and the game might have taken a different route.
Bottom line, Goal-line technology is a necessary tool in today football, and I hope it gets implemented as fast as possible.
