Can the 4th Official Replace Goal-Line Technology?

The fourth officials—or "dugout referees"—are neither as industrious nor as occupied as the head and assistant referees.

They have the sedentary tasks of indicating injury time, settling rows between managers, and trafficking substitutions.

In rare cases, they're called on to replace the head or assistant referees in case of injury or sudden ill-health.

 Are there any other ways they can exert themselves?

There may be one—and it relates to the troubled saga of goal-line technology.

There have been many heated controversies in the past few seasons regarding disallowed goals, or goals that shouldn't have been given. When livid fans looked for someone to blame, the referees were the perfect scapegoats.

Remember Pedro Mendes' cannon shot against Manchester United, or Luis Garcia's winner over Chelsea in the UCL semifinal a few years back?

Thus emerged the canny and feasible idea of goal-line technology. Managers and fans applauded the proposal—but the referees protested, saying it would diminish their authority over the game.

Due to the officials' strident opposition, the introduction of the new technology never came to pass.

Now, we know it's almost impossible for referees to pinpoint the ball in a jam-packed D-box—especially with a group of players clamoring that it has or hasn't crossed the line.

So how about the fourth official doing the job? 

He could have a portable LCD, through which he'd have a clear vision of the goal line from every possible angle. He'd be able rewind the video clip to be sure of the ball's position and report his findings to the head referee.

What's the flaw in that? 

Only a few seconds of delay—nothing compared to several minutes of debate between the referee and players.

The upshot is obvious here. No questions can be raised about the validity of the goals, and the referees can escape the criticism they're so often prone to.

What do you make of this idea? Will it demoralize the referees? Or can the FA overcome their objections and finally do the right thing?