We hear today that goal line technology may actually be available as early as next season. The FA General Secretary Alex Horne has revealed as many as 9 systems are under going tests and should one become successful then the laws that govern the game will have to change.
Where do we start. Firstly you should know that any change requires a three quarter vote. FIFA has 4 votes and the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish FA's or International Football Association Board all have a vote each. So any new goal line technology has to comply to FIFA's criteria. FIFA's guidelines are that the technology should only be used to determine whether a goal has been scored and that the technology is used solely for the goal line. FIFA also insist the system must be accurate and ideally that system should indicate whether a goal has been scored or not within 1 second. Finally FIFA insist that only the match officials are made aware of the decision.
The key to FIFA's criteria is the fact they want a system that can deliver a response within a second. That is going to prove the toughest test to beat. However a brain child of Bolton Wanderers fans Harry Barnes and David Parden looks capable of even passing that test. Their system involves special goal posts at a cost of around £100,000 each with 24 high definition cameras in. They claim that the cameras can tell whether the ball has crossed the line almost instantly and that a computer can verify the information using three-dimensional imaging software. An signal is then sent to the referee via vibration and a visual notice. The pair claim all this can be achieved within a second. FIFA's testers will go to league one side Rochdale to see the system in action.
Should everything pass the criteria it will be hard for closet racist and anti English football Mr Sepp Blatter to do anything but accept the need to change the law. There are commercial opportunities with this system to consider and the lure of money might be enough to sway him this time. As long as all of his criteria were met how can Blatter refuse.
Some of the other ideas including one whose system utilises an electronic sensor inside the match ball and electromagnetic strips buried under the goal and penalty area lines and another from the Hawk-Eye team who have had success in Tennis and Cricket. These both seem to have slipped down the pecking order and appear unlikely to be ready by next season.
So far FIFA and IFAB have been fortunate that the lack of technology hasn't affected the outcome of a match with millions of pounds riding on one decision. Had Lampard's goal that never was against Germany in the world cup been the other way round I'm sure Blatter would have been the first to call for the change.
The thing I don't understand is why the IFAB can't run trials for the Barnes & Parden system without FIFA for matches that FIFA have no control over. The League Cup for example. This system should have been tried in this seasons league cup campaign. It seems the flaws would have had more chance to show themselves than just at a one off game when no incidents may even occur.
My idea for a video referee or technical assistant call them what you will is going to happen. It seems a referral system using that video referee is unlikely as I was using a 30 second limit on decisions. But if we want change then lets do the tests ourselves and then go to FIFA and show them that the idea works under all their criteria and let them beg us to be able to use it.
Lets give this Barnes & Parden system a chance and if it works for us then let us have it whether FIFA agree or not. We will adjust to playing matches where it is not an option just as the England Cricket team adjust to certain elements not available for review during some of their matches. Let us not be governed and regulated by the corruptness of FIFA and grab some control and pride back. We showed the introduced football to the world. Now it's time for us to show them the way forward.
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