Over the line (finally): Goal-line technology is signed off... and the Premier League vow to introduce it as soon as possible



Goal-line technology has finally been approved and will soon be introduced to the Barclays Premier League and beyond.

After a long list of controversies - including Frank Lampard's 'goal' against Germany at the 2010 World Cup - the game is ready for change. The International FA Board (IFAB) gave the go-ahead to both the Hawk-Eye and the GoalRef systems at a meeting in Zurich.

And the Premier League have vowed to bring in goal-line technology 'as soon as is practically possible' following the IFAB's landmark decision. The Club World Cup in Tokyo involving Chelsea will be the first event where the technology will be introduced.



Let's go: Sepp Blatter is a firm believer in goal-line tehcnology

The Premier League released a statement soon after the announcement saying that the technology will be introduced in to England's top division as quickly as possible.

'The Premier League has been a long term advocate of goal-line technology,' the statement read.



'We welcome today's decision by IFAB and will engage in discussions with both Hawkeye and GoalRef in the near future with a view to introducing goal-line technology as soon as is practically possible.'

Kicking off: Blatter is a huge fan of introducing goal-line technology

So, what are the two systems that will be used?

HAWK-EYE A camera-based system developed by the British company Hawkeye, which was bought last year by Japanese corporation Sony and which already has systems used by tennis and cricket. Six or seven high-speed cameras at both ends of the stadium, mounted on the roof, track the ball in flight and a computer system calculates exactly where the ball is on the pitch, sending an electronic message to a watch-like receiver worn by the match officials when it crosses the line. The only issue is whether the Hawk-Eye cameras would work in the very rare instance of the ball being completely covered by the keeper's body. FIFA have insisted that the pictures will not be shown on TV or stadium screens after any controversial incident, with only the officials being alerted whether the ball crossed the line. GOALREF A joint Danish-German system, GoalRef uses magnetic fields to detect whether the ball has crossed the line. Three magnetic strips are placed inside the outer lining of the ball, between the bladder and the outer casing, and when the ball crosses the line these are detected by sensors inside the goalposts and crossbar. The sensors send out electronic waves which are disrupted when the ball crosses the line, and a computer then sends a message to the match officials' watch receivers in less than a second. Installation costs should be lower than Hawk-Eye but still significant. There remains possible issues over deals with manufacturers to allow the magnetic strips inside their balls, but GoalRef have already been in contact with the manufacturers.



FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said they intended to also bring goal-line technology in for next year's Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Valcke said FIFA would pay for the systems - around $250,000 per stadium - and leave them in place in the stadiums.

FA general secretary Alex Horne said: 'We believe that it is a great day for football. From an English perspective today is a hugely important day, it is a cause we have had on our agenda for a number of years.



'This is about having the right technology helping the referee in a relatively rare occurrence - the scoring of a goal.'

With Goal-Ref, officials can be alerted instantly to the ball crossing the line

Once the ball crosses the line, the cameras and computers will instantly detect the goal and inform the officials

A brief history of football's innovations

1863: At an meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern in London, the FA is founded plus the first set of rules. The Cambridge Rules - produced by undergraduates at Cambridge University in the 1840s - are rewritten to provide the game's first uniform regulations.

1869: Goal-kicks are introduced for the first time, with corners following three years later.

1875: The crossbar replaces tape as the means of marking the top of the goal.

1878: A referee uses a whistle for the first time and the first floodlit match takes place at Bramall Lane between two local teams.

1882: The football associations of Great Britain unify their rules and form the International Football Association Board - the body that determines the Laws of the Game.

1891: Penalties are awarded for the first time, the goal net is accepted into the laws and the referee is allowed on the field of play.

1902: The penalty box and spot are introduced after it's decided penalties would be awarded for fouls committed in an area 18 yards from the goal line and 44 yards wide. The six-yard box was also introduced, although it took another 35 years for the 'D' shape at the edge of the area to be brought in.

1912: Goalkeepers are prevented from handling the ball outside the penalty area.

1925: The offside law - where players are onside if there are three players between the ball and goal - are reduced to two players.

1938: Laws of the Game are made by IFAB member Stanley Rous, who did such a good job that it was not revised again until 1997.

1958: Substitutes are permitted for the first time, albeit only for an injured goalkeeper and one other injured player.

1970: Red and yellow cards are introduced for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

1990: The offside law is changed in favour of the attacker, who is now onside if level with the penultimate defender.

1992: Goalkeepers are forbidden from handling back-passes from a team-mate's foot.

1994: The technical area is introduced into the Laws of the Game, with the fourth official following the next year.

A comprehensive series of tests have been carried out on the systems by Swiss scientists. Both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef are deemed to have passed the tests satisfactorily.

There will still be a delay before either system can be used in competitive football, however - each will need to be licensed, installed and then tested in every venue to make sure it is working properly.

The IFAB, who are meeting in Zurich, also insist the technology is used only as an aid to referees to make a decision, rather than being the deciding factor in whether the ball has crossed the line.



It means referees can still decide not to award a goal based on what they see even if the systems are indicating the ball has crossed the line.



FIFA's president Sepp Blatter is a firm supporter of goal-line technology, having changed his mind after Lampard's disallowed goal.

The clamour increased last month after Ukraine's disallowed goal against England and has also served to sweep aside any lingering doubts over the systems' margins of error.



However, FIFA are insistent that, initially at least, the technology's signal of a goal should only be transmitted to the match officials and not to the crowd or TV audience.



The IFAB is made up of FIFA, who have four votes, and the four home nations, who have one vote each. Any law change needs at least six votes.



The body will also consider whether the UEFA experiment with extra officials has been a success and should be continued, but UEFA president Michel Platini will not be going to Zurich to argue the case in person.

The England v Ukraine incident, which saw John Terry hook the ball back into play when it was already across the line, could hardly have fallen worse for Platini.



No goal was awarded despite the extra official being no more than 10 yards away and staring straight along the line. That suited Blatter perfectly, who opposes the extra two officials on the grounds that in many countries there are not a sufficient number of referees.

The tests on the technology were carried out by the EMPA - the Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology - and the results discussed by IFAB members at a meeting earlier this month.



The Hawk-Eye system - developed by a British company now owned by Sony - is based on cameras and GoalRef, a Danish-German development, uses magnetic fields.

Remember this? Goal-line technology may mean incidents such as Frank Lampard's 'goal' in the 2010 World Cup will be accepted

They even themselves out: John Terry was too late to stop Marko Devic's shot crossing the line - but the goal was not given

Each system is required to send an immediate message to a watch worn by the match officials within a second of the ball crossing the line.



The tests included exposing the equipment and watches to extreme heat and cold, as well as humidity and heavy rain. Experiments also took place during live matches including England's match against Belgium on June 2.



FIFA's Club World Cup in Japan in December is likely to be the first competition where the technology is used.

Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein and general secretary Alex Horne voted in favour of the motion.

Horne said: 'It is a hugely important day. It is a cause we have had on our agenda for a number of years.'

Hawk-Eye was tested at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium in May and FIFA thanked the FA for their assistance.



A FIFA spokesman said: 'We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to the Football Association for their willingness to support the live match tests, a critical part of Test Phase 2 for Goal-line technology.'

The IFAB also approved UEFA's system of having two additional assistant referees, one next to each goal.

Valcke said: 'It was approved to use these whenever an event organiser wants to do so.'

The body also agreed to allow headscarves to be worn by players after requests from some Muslim countries and a decision on the the design and colour of the scarves will be made later this year.

