FIFA Approves Goal Line Technology in Historic Decision

The debates over goals crossing the goal line may finally be over.  The International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA announced today that goal-line technology (GLT) has been approved for introduction into play, according to Sky Sports.

Consisting of the representatives of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football associations as well as FIFA, the rule-making body for international football, unanimously approved the use of GLT in a special Zurich meeting today. 

Two companies, Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, passed the second test phase of a nine-month process that began with eight companies vying for approval.

GLT could be introduced into Premier League and other FA-sanctioned games within six months.  The technology will also feature at FIFA international matches, including the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Hawk-Eye, commonly used to dispute linesman calls in professional Tennis, uses a network of high-speed cameras to track the balls movement around the pitch and in the goal area.  A three-dimensional graphic of trajectory is produced, and referees can be notified within one second whether a ball has crossed the goal line or not.

The GoalRef system, developed by German scientists, operates through a series of magnets placed in the ball and sensors embedded in the goal posts.  Upon crossing the goal line, the ball would "upset" the magnetic field, and the referee would be notified via a sensor on his wrist that the ball had indeed crossed the line.

The two companies will now undergo further testing and trials in game environments before applying for a license from FIFA.  The final step would be installing the systems at stadiums in the leagues and countries that intend on using the technology.

Jérome Vackle, FIFA's general secretary, already stated in a post-meeting press conference that FIFA would be paying for and installing the technology in the stadiums due to host Confederations Cup and World Cup matches in Brazil.

Today's decision was the culmination of a two-year push from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who, after many years of obstinate opposition, advocated for GLT after the 2010 World Cup second-round match between England and Germany.  

The mistake-marred match saw Frank Lampard's equalizing goal not count because the referee did not see it clearly cross the line after hitting the underside of the crossbar.