Football- Is goal line

technology worth it?

By Daniel King and Ajay Sharma
Goal Line technology
• Reasons for goal line technology

• Reasons Against technology

• Other sports with goal line

technology
Is this a goal?
 No!!?
The referee and
linesman said so..
 Would this have happened with
goal line technology?

*Used inUnder-17 World

championships in Peru.

Wilson, B 2007. Blatter eyes goal-line technology

. Available:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6187030.stm
[Accessed: 18/11/2008]

Jutta Scheibe & Morten Lyhne, Adidas, 2007.

Intelligent soccer ball, graphic. Cairo’s
technologies.
 Potential problems
• Technology not 100% accurate
• Slow down the pace of the game?
• Makes goalkeepers jobs harder?
• Less drama in the game, People
enjoy the drama…Less income
through football?
• Cost
Stevanja, John, 2007, The Goal-line Technology Debate: A
Logue, Matt. 2008. "STOP KILLING OUR GAME." Rugby League Week : 11-11. Goalkeeper’s Perspective. Available: http://soccerlens.com/the-
SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed January 8, 2009). goal-line-technology-debate-a-goalkeepers-perspective/2874
[accessed: 18/11/2008]
BBC, 2007. Go-ahead for goal-line technology. Available:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6404755.stm. [Accessed:
8/01/2009]
 Benefits of goal line
technology
• Decisions more accurate and
eliminate the variable of human
error.
• Makes the game fairer?
• Save time as the other team has no
evidence to complain on a decision.
• Makes officials jobs easier
Stevanja, John, 2007, The Goal-line Technology Debate: A
Wilson, B 2007. Blatter eyes goal-line technology Goalkeeper’s Perspective. Available: http://soccerlens.com/the-
. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6187030.stm [Accessed: goal-line-technology-debate-a-goalkeepers-perspective/2874
18/11/2008] [accessed: 18/11/2008]

BBC, 2007. Go-ahead for goal-line technology. Available:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6404755.stm. [Accessed:
8/01/2009]
 Which of the following decisions should
video replays be made available for

Do not support introduction

Fouls outside the area

Off side decisions

Referees
Bookings/ red cards Journalists
Amateur Players
Armchair Fans
Match Spectators
Off ball incidents

Goal-line decisions

Penalties

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

MORI, 2002. Support for video evidence.

State of the Nation A survey of English Football, pp. 47
 What the managers think?
• Arsene Wenger:
“I’m in favour of it big time. I love football and when you love
football you like justice to be respected…Why should a team be
allowed a goal that wasn’t in?...how much of a 90-minute match
is effectively played? About 55-60 minutes. You lose 30 minutes
Castrol Performing Index, 2008, Arsene in a game anyway, much of it due to referees explaining
Wenger Q&A,
http://euro2008.castrolindex.com/story.asp
decisions to players. All this would be cut out and you would
x?feature=11&language=en [accessed
8/01/09
actually gain time if technology was used. It wouldn’t take
power away from the ref but it would be at his disposal if he
wants to use.”
• Martin Jol (after Pedro Mendes clear goal was disallowed
against Manchester United in 2005):
“You have to say that technology needs to be introduced
because we feel robbed - and rightly so. The referee is already
wearing an earpiece so why can’t we just stop the game and
get the decision right. We talk about new technology all the time
Jol philosphical over goal
contraversy,2005,bbc1,4/01/2005 but nothing seems to happen, yet it would be so easy to put
something there on the line to help the game”
 Video Referee
• A video referee also known
as the video umpire, instant
replay official, television
match official or third umpire,
is a sports official called
upon to help adjudicate a
sports match using television
footage.
• Video referees are used in
many sports, including
cricket, rugby union, rugby
league and ice hockey. The
role of the video referee
varies, often they can only
be called upon to adjudicate
on specific events.
Logue, Matt. 2008. "STOP KILLING OUR GAME." Rugby League Week : 11-11.
SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed January 8, 2009).
NZRL, 2008. New Zealand 2008 world cup champions{online}
Available: http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=31978 (08/01/09)
 Video referee
• An example of a video referee
being used in Rugby is a
controversial try.
• The referee will call upon the
video replay to establish
weather to give the try or not
• The result will appear on the
big screen, as shown in the
picture to the left.

Due to the cost of television

cameras and other equipment
needed for a video referee to
function, most sports only
Logue, Matt. 2008. "STOP KILLING OURemploy
GAME." Rugbythem
League at
Weeka: 11-11.
professional
or top-class
SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed level.
January 8, 2009).

NZRL, 2008. New Zealand 2008 world cup champions{online}

Available: http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=31978 (08/01/09)
 Hawk Eye Technology

• Hawk Eye technology is now used in many sports such as: Cricket, Tennis
and Snooker. It is also used for coaching purposes to analyse performance
in further detail.

Hawk-Eye is the most sophisticated officiating tool used in any sport. It is

Hawkeye innovations Ltd, 2007, Goal- the most accurate, reliable and practical: fans now expect and demand it to
Line Technology.
Available:http://www.hawkeyeinnovations be a part of every event.
.co.uk/?page_id=1076[accessed
8/01/2009]
Elkin, Seth. 2006. "TO KNOW LIST 4: Watch it like a hawk." Sporting News 230,
no. 36: 9-9. SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed January 8, 2009).
Weil,D., 2006.The umpire in the sky. Tennis, Vol. 42, Issue 9, p65 2/3p
 Hawk Eye Technology

• Generally overall hawk eye has benefited sports including cricket,

snooker and tennis.
• It plays a vital part in modern day tennis now, with both players, coaches
and spectators welcoming the innovation to the sport.
• Hawk eye uses computerised, scientifically proven methods to determine
weather its in or out; this is very beneficial to everybody involved,
especially the players. Hence these quotes:

• “I don't need to go to bed now wondering if that serve really was in or

out. I looked up. It's in. There's no need to worry about that tonight. ”
(James Blake)

• "In my 20 years in professional tennis, this is one of the most exciting

things to happen for players, fans and television viewers. This new
Hawkeye innovations Ltd, 2007, Goal-
Line Technology. technology will add a whole new dimension to the game.“
Available:http://www.hawkeyeinnovations.
co.uk/?page_id=1076[accessed 8/01/2009]
(Andre Agassi)
Elkin, Seth. 2006. "TO KNOW LIST 4: Watch it like a hawk." Sporting News 230,
no. 36: 9-9. SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed January 8, 2009).
Weil,D., 2006.The umpire in the sky. Tennis, Vol. 42, Issue 9, p65 2/3p

Hawkeye innovations Ltd, 2007,
Goal-Line Technology. Available:
http://www.hawkeyeinnovations.co.
uk/?page_id=1076[accessed
8/01/2009]
Hawk eye; goal line idea
• Premier league has funded hawk eye to make an
accurate goal line technology (5mm accuracy)
• Creates a virtual three dimensional space in goal and
computers tell in seconds if it is a goal
• Hawk-Eye utilises cameras that can operate at up to 500
frames per second whereas normal broadcasting
operate at 25
• It is able to find the ball accurately even if only 25% of
the ball is visible
• Problems
• The three dimensional space of a goal mouth is actually
subject to quite a lot of movement. (Players, ball, fans
cheering)
• Players obstructing cameras
• However.. hawk-eye innovations are confident they can
over come these problems like they have done for other
sports
At its meeting on 3rd March 2007 in Manchester, the
International Football Association Board (IFAB), the guardian of
the Laws of the Game, gave the go ahead for the development

Any proposed system seeking IFAB approval

must meet the following four principles:
• The technology should apply only to goal-line
technology
• The system must be 100% accurate
• The indication of whether or not the ball has
crossed the line must be instantaneous
between the system and the referee
• The signal is communicated only to the match
officials.
 Respect the referee campaign
• Former top flight referee, Keith Hackett’s opinion:
“I’d love to see some technology to assist us with goal
line decisions. The general feeling in football is that
technology, if it was available, would assist.
By having goal line technology.. Would benefits referees by..
• Aids them to give correct decisions this idea links in
with the respect the referee campaign launched by
the FA

• Having this its thought that referees would suffer

less or no abuse from the fans, players or
managers.

• Could help prevent referee’s from leaving the game

The FA, 2008, My role in Respect. Available:

http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Respect/MyRole [Accessed: 12/12/08]
 Do you think that video evidence should be
used in the top pro divisions to help them
make decisions?

Referees (31)

Club Officials (153)

Spectators (4,535)

Professional Players (29) Disagree (%)

Agree (%)

Amateur Players (1,569)

Journalist (25)

Armchair fans (1,205)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

MORI, 2002. Support for video evidence.

State of the Nation A survey of English Football, pp. 47
 Football Fan census
Source “Football Omnibus: March 2007” Census. Sample size 2,023 football fans.

Q1. Do you agree with the IFAB (International Football

Association Board) decision to introduce goal line technology?
Could this technology be sustained in
Football?
• The short answer would be ‘yes’.
• This is because there is a lot of money in sport today and
at top flight level it wouldn’t be a problem for clubs to
fund and accommodate this new technology.
• However the longer answer is more complicated.
• Lower league and semi-pro teams would most likely not
be able to afford these technological upgrades therefore
it would create a divide in football.
• Lower league, grass-roots, and semi-pro or amateur
teams and clubs would all suffer as football in general
would be separated by this change and difference in
technology and how the game is played.