The hi-tech football that tells referees when it has crossed the line
By NIALL FIRTH
Last updated at 00:32 18 December 2007
It's the technology that could be the final word on arguments between football supporters and could end constant griping by managers over disputed goals.
Hi-tech footballs fitted with special chips that tell officials whether a ball has crossed the line could soon be a regular feature at Premiership football matches after they were successfully trialled in a match in Japan.
Tests during a recent tournament show the system is working and officials must now decide whether to approve the technology for wider use.
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Wires embedded in the pitch around the goalmouth emit a magnetic field which can detect the presence of a specially-designed ball fitted with a sensor. The football can then be tracked its exact position around the pitch.
An encrypted signal is then sent to a watch worn by the referee to let them know whether the ball has crossed the line.
An earlier prototype of the technology was first trialled at the Under-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005 but proved too inaccurate to be rolled out any further.
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The International Football Association Board, which laws down the rules of football , has said in the past that any such technology must be proved to be 100 per cent accurate before it can be used in professional tournaments, including the World Cup.
At a press conference at Yokohama International Stadium, Adidas's Head of FIFA Affairs Gunter Pfau hailed the recent trials at the FIFA Club World Cup as a huge success.
"We are very satisfied. No ball was damaged, all the systems during the games worked and the players' feedback here has been very positive."
Goal line controversy has been a major part of the English game ever since Geoff Hurst's third goal in extra time in the 1966 World Cup appeared not to have crossed the line.
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The infamous "Russian linesman", who actually came from Azerbaijan, ruled the ball had crossed the line.
"We are not trying to change history," Pfau joked showing a photo of Hurst's goal.
"This technology is for more transparency and to support the referee in making more accurate decisions."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been one of the vociferous supporters of the introduction of goalline technology in football.
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