IFAB tests goal line technologies to end goal line contentions on field

For soccer referees, it has long been an intricate job to officiate a goal if the ball has just kissed the goal-line. We found many contentions in playground between players and referees in deciding goals. Most often, inappropriate decisions even changed the fate of many decisive games. Recently, we witnessed to a goal wrongly allotted to Chelsea's Juan Mata as his team beat Tottenham in the 5-1 FA Cup semi final. To end this dilemma, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has tied up with a pair of firms for advanced goal-line technology testing.

Goal-line technologies under tests

Hawk-Eye and GoalRef are the two technologies that the football’s law maker has required to prove their credentials in making proper goal-line decisions. Both the systems are camera based technologies that can track the ball and deliver trusted officiating. IFAB has been testing the technologies one by one in recent soccer games and it will take up the best one for refereeing future soccer games including the World Cups, reports said.

Hawk-Eye is to be monitored by independent testers when England meets Belgium in a friendlier game at Wembley on 2 June, 2012, which is the final international game for England before Euro 2012. However, during testing, the data from Hawk-Eye will not be accessible to officials; that is, the game will be umpired manually only. The system was already tested around five times earlier this month in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Wembley has been known for many contentious goal-line decisions in the past. The last one occurred in the final of 1966 World Cup when England's Sir Geoff Hurst was allowed a goal as a shot from him just crossed the West German goal-line. On the same day of Hawk-Eye’s testing, IFAB will test GoalRef technology in another friendly match-up between Denmark and Australia in Copenhagen.

Via: BBC