The FIFA limousines had no sooner pulled up outside the luxury hotel in Bagshot today when discussion started about when goal-line technology could be introduced.
You're right in thinking that FIFA President Sepp Blatter has undergone a Damascene conversion on this issue, and that it's Frank Lampard's fault. Blatter was in the crowd in Rustenburg two years ago when Lampards' clear goal - a goal that would have pulled England back into the game against Germany - was not given even though it was about two metres over the goal-line.
Until then, Blatter was broadly against technology, but since then he has changed his tune and intensive tests have been carried out from various companies - including the makers of Hawkeye equipment used in cricket and tennis - at FIFA's HQ on the outskirts of Zurich.
There's now a real chance the goal-line technology will be introduced in time for the Brazil World Cup in three years' time, perhaps even earlier in some leagues prepared to pilot it in 2013.
IFAB, the body that changes football's laws, will rule on the proposed change in Bagshot this weekend and is more thna likely to push it through, despite the reluctance of UEFA's boss Michel Platini, who favours the extra assistants on the goal-line concept.
"Platini doesn't want it but I wouldn't be again in a World Cup and witness another situation," Blatter told one of my colleagues this afternoon. "I would die."
Other law changes to be discussed this weekend include using a fourth substitute in extra time and dropping the so-called "triple punishment" for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, in which the offender concedes a penalty, gets a red card and is suspended. Under a proposed change, the offence would have to be much more specific and inside the opponent's penalty area.
Rules are amended with six of the eight available IFAB votes. Changes typically take effect on July 1 ahead of the following season, but can be fast-tracked for a major tournament if the panel agrees.
No comments:
Post a Comment