
Goal Line Technology consists of two solutions, the
RFID chip equipped soccer ball and the
Hawk Eye computer tracking system.
The RFID chip is a soccer ball with an enbedded microchip that sends a signal to indicate that the ball has crossed the goal line. The Hawk Eye is a computer tracking system that provides officials with a visual representation of the ball's most likely path.
This technologies were being considered by FIFA due to incidents such as the one in
"a match on January 4 in which England's Tottenham was denied a clear goal against Manchester United when goalkeeper Roy Carroll dropped the ball behind the line while officials were apparently looking elsewhere."In the case of the RFID microchip, this technology was
reported to have been tested back in 2005 at the Under 17 FIFA World Championship in Peru. It is not clear what the results of that test were.
It should be noted that, at least the Hawk Eye technology has been used in Tennis and Cricket for years.
The interesting thing about the IFAB's ruling is that no rationale has been provided for their decision. The ruling has been received with frustration and
anger by some managers. One thing is for sure, the IFAB's decision to reject these technologies guarantees a place for human error, needless arguments and disputes in soccer for many years to come.
Via:
M&CGoogle NewsUSA Todayengadget