Goal-line technology: in or out?

On Saturday, the International Football Association Board dismissed the possibility of bringing goal-line technology and video replays in to football. Fifa has come under increasing pressure to examine the possibility of introducing video replays and goal-line technology in a bid to prevent high profile errors, the most high profile of which recently came when Thierry Henry handled the ball in setting up France’s winning goal against Republic of Ireland in a World Cup playoff match, and then in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter final between Portsmouth and Birmingham City, there was an incident involving Liam Ridgewell where he claimed his header had crossed the line before being scrambled clear. The referee and assistant referee were both unsighted, but a quick replay from the camera placed along the goal line showed the ball had crossed the line before being scooped back out again. Another recent example is the FA Cup 5th round tie between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, with Palace leading 2-1 and time running out, Villa were awarded a corner incorrectly, from which they equalised and subsequently won the replay. Offside decisions are of constant debate, and I am sure you could point many other incidences where some injustice has gone against, as well as in favour of, your club. As a Watford fan, I always remember the Reading goal that never was!

The IFAB has declared its reasons for not pursuing the technology ideas further; they include that introducing technology will create too many stop-start situations in the game, and that they want to retain the human side of the game. The IFAB statement mentions debate and controversy. I would have used the word error; not deliberate error, but human error, which the technology would be there to minimise. A lot of people say that the bad decisions even themselves out over the course of a season. If we take some of the examples used previously, where is the evening out for the Irish, who are out of the World Cup? Where is the evening out for Palace and Birmingham, who are out of the FA Cup now? Should the IFAB and Fifa instead be ironing out errors, rather than evening them out? The IFAB is apparently open to Fifas discussion on having an extra official positioned behind each goal, as has been experimented with in the Europa League this season.

So if technology were to be embraced, in what capacity would it be used and how would it affect the game? Well that will be a point for much debate, as the ruling boards would have been able to control how and when it is used in a game, whether it was for goal line incidents, corners, throw-ins, dives, etc, etc, etc. But it is quite obvious how much of a positive effect technology has had on other sports. Cricket uses technology for many aspects of its game now, a lot of which came about due to the innovative ideas of television companies, and the International Cricket Council recognised that it could not allow the decisions of umpires at the very highest level to continue to be undermined by technology. Originally starting with run out decisions, the IRC has been trialling the use of Hawk-Eye and Hot Spot. Tennis has also taken to using Hawk-Eye, although not in the predictive element it offers, but the mapping of the flight of a tennis ball and where it lands. Rugby union and rugby league both use a television match official to decide the awarding of tries where the referee is unsure of the decision.

There are issues with technology however. It is not always the wonder it is portrayed to be. In cricket especially, the two dimensional aspect of television makes it difficult to judge catches low to the ground, where a fielders hands are on top of the grass when the ball enters the hands, making it unclear as to whether a clean catch has been taken.

I am still firmly in favour of introducing technology in to football in some way however. There is a lot of money involved in the professional game today at the top level. Can the top clubs afford to miss out on the Champions League because of some bad decisions and all the money that goes with being in Europe’s elite? In the Championship play-off final, also known as the richest game in football, one decision could be the difference between a successful and failed promotion, a managers job, a club staying in business, etc. And finally, referees are constantly the source of barracking over poor decision making. Introducing some video technology at least would no doubt go some way to restoring the respect that they deserve by allowing them to come to the correct decision. Making sure football continues to have referees available is just as important as any other facet of the game. Remember, no referee, no game, and if technology can help preserve the respect of referees in some way, then it is surely a step worth taking.