Premier League gives thumbs up to goal-line technology

The Premier League has confirmed that goal-line technology will be in place for the start of the 2013-14 season. FIFA has already said that goal-line technology will be used at this year’s Confederations Cup and the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

A Premier League spokesperson said: “We are in advanced discussions with two of the companies who provide the systems and we are working on the basis of having goal-line technology in place for the start of the season.

“All clubs will have to have the system to ensure the universal integrity of the competition, including those who are promoted.”

Sky News reports that the Premier League is in discussion with two suppliers – Hawk-Eye and the lesser-known GaolRef. Neither system is thought to delay play by more than a second or two although they do use different technology.

Hawkeye uses six cameras to track the ball’s trajectory and send a message to the referee’s watch if a goal has been scored. GoalRef uses sensors on the frame of the goal and a magnetic field to detect if the ball has crossed the line. The Premier League is expected to make a decision based on cost and ease of use.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) meet in Edinburgh tomorrow to discuss the use of the technology at December 2012’s World Club Championship in Japan. It’s expected that officials will be told the trials were a success.

What does the FSF think?

As far back as 2008 the Football Supporters’ Federation argued in favour of goal-line technology and called upon IFAB to introduce systems “at all appropriate levels of the game, as conference believes that such systems can only be a positive aid to referees.”

• You can read ‘Goal-line technology: The time is now’ from the FSF Annual Report 2012 here…
• Download the full FSF Annual Report 2012 here…

Thanks to Action Images for the photo used in this story.