Video Technology: Is It Now Needed?

With football Match Officials making decisions that nowadays can have a massive effect on clubs is there now a case for video technology to be introduced?

Recent errors in decisions have highlighted the difficulty Match Officials in Premier League games are encountering in making the right decisions. Although it is accepted generally that Officials call the incidents as they see them happen, unlike the TV viewers who have endless replays from every imaginable angle, it is clear that the Officials are clearly unable to cope with the speed of the action in such a fast moving game.

Video technology has been in use now for quite a few seasons in Super League Rugby and has proved very useful in aiding the making of correct decisions. However, I don't think it would be of any favour to the football match officials if it was used to the level it is used in RL, and I would hate to see the game stopping and starting for every query to be referred "upstairs."

Perhaps it could be only used in the case of offsides, penalty decisions or goal line calls. Maybe each teams manager could be able to make, say, two challenges per match to what they percieve as bad calls so that the video evidence can be reviewed by the fourth Official or by a dedicated "tv match official."

I believe this would not slow down the game any more than happens at the moment with all the arguments and remonstrations that inevitably happen around an incident and would have the added bonus of leaving no doubt in the supporters minds that the right decision had been reached.

At the end of the season relegation from the Premier League is always a close run thing with quite a few teams in the "mix" right to the last match. Incorrect goals awarded for say, offside or wrong penalty calls, could have a massive impact on a teams fortune and could unfortunately see them relegated. This of course would be grossly unfair on the club and of course on the Official who made, through no fault of his own, the wrong decision.

Should video technology be introduced into the Premier League?