Smart Balls

[Dell19]

Saturday February 26 2005 12:56
FIFA GIVE TECH GO-AHEAD
Football's rule-makers have given the go-ahead for FIFA to experiment with goal-line technology.

By Ryan Cooper

It is expected the micro-chip technology will be used for the first time at FIFA's Under-20 World Championships in Peru in September.

The decision follows a presentation by Adidas to the International FA Board in Cardiff on Saturday, after the sports goods manufacturers tested a ball containing a micro-chip in a match between Nuremberg and Nuremberg reserves in Germany on Tuesday.

The new ball has a microchip inside it so when it crosses the goal-line the referee is alerted directly by a bleeper-type system rather than any video replays being used.

The fact that there is no delay to the game has impressed the IFAB, which is made up of four FIFA representatives plus a member of each of the four home associations.

The English FA had offered to experiment with the ball as well, but both the Premier League and Football League use balls made by rival manufacturers.

Adidas are developing the new ball with two other German-based companies Cairos Technologies and hi-tech communications firm Fraunhofer, but believe that such rigorous experimentation is needed that it is unlikely to be ready for next year's World Cup final in Germany.

So we might see a little change to the game to eliminate part of the controversy. It should be a good move as this kind of technology shouldn't have an impact on the pace of the game whilst removing unjust decisions in one area.

 

[Inter4]

I read the title and thought completely about something else

 

[ummmm........]

Now if they can just get something like that in American football . . .

 

[Arminius]

I think this is a step forward.

@ ummmm........: American football would require much more in terms of technology because you have to know if part of the player's body or the ball touched the ground before the ball crossed the line.

 

[ummmm........]

Right, but in a goal line situation, the way it works now is you've got two guys right there on top of the action who can tell if a guy is down, and another two guys on the sidelines who actually make the call as to whether the ball has crossed the goal line or not.

Imagine if instead everybody was wearing earpieces that beeped when the ball broke the plane, the refs would only have to watch for when the guy went down/progress was stopped, and if he still had possession. So the effect would be that the two guys right on top of the play would be able to make the call themselves. It would also be useful for marking balls near the first down marker: when the ref hears the beep is when the ball passed the stick, so he only has to pay attention to whether the guy is down and in bounds at that time.

It'd give everybody one less thing to do.

EDIT: I appreciate your spelling my name right by the way. That's a rare thing.

 

[Daniel Khan]

One of these days, referees will be replaced by omnipresent computer systems who never get a call wrong.

 

[Dell19]

And then we will complain that football isn't as exciting as it used to be...