Adidas Says Japan Tests Prove Soccer Goal-Line Technology Works

Technology designed to determine whether a soccer ball has crossed a goal line proved ``satisfactory'' at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, the system's developers Adidas AG and Cairos Technologies AG said.
Tests during the tournament's opening matches show the system is working and soccer's lawmakers must decide whether to approve the technology for wider use, Adidas's Head of FIFA Affairs Gunter Pfau said.
``Until now we are very satisfied,'' Pfau said during a press conference at Yokohama International Stadium, south of Tokyo. ``No ball was damaged, all the systems during the games worked and the players' feedback here has been very positive.''
The International Football Association Board, which establishes the laws of soccer, says goal-line technology must be proven to be 100 percent accurate before its use in other tournaments, including the World Cup. Both companies declined to comment on the degree of accuracy shown by the tests.
The IFAB is comprised of the sport's governing Federation Internationale de Football Association, which has four votes, and representatives from the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations, in recognition of their role in codifying the original laws of the game.
The companies presented the results to the IFAB yesterday, Pfau said.
Magnetic Sensors
The system was used in the Club World Cup match on Dec. 9 between African champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel and Mexico's Pachucha, who had a shot by Gabriel Caballero cleared off the line. Etoile won the match 1-0.
The system uses magnetic fields and a sensor attached to the inside of a football with a 12-point suspension system. Wires cut into the pitch around and behind the penalty area emit a magnetic field which, when data is fed to a central computer, can track the location of the ball and show whether a shot has crossed the line, Adidas said in a statement.
An encrypted signal is sent to watches worn by the referee and match officials to indicate a goal.
It is the first time goal-line technology has been tested in a professional tournament. An earlier system, using radio transmissions to track the ball across the pitch, was ruled to be inaccurate during testing at the Under-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005.
The sport's governing bodies are promoting the development of technology to help end uncertainty over disputed goals such as a strike by England's Geoff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany.
Hitting the Crossbar
His second goal in the 4-2 win hit the crossbar and as it bounced down it wasn't clear whether it crossed the line. The referee consulted his assistant before allowing the goal.
``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.''
Adidas and Cairos are based in Germany.
A disallowed goal in the English Premier League this season resulted in assistant referee Ian Gosling being forced to miss one match after he failed to spot a shot by Fulham's David Healy crossed the line in a match against Middlesbrough on Aug. 18. Middlesbrough won the game 2-1.
``Everyone could see it was a goal,'' Fulham coach Lawrie Sanchez said after the game. ``It's one of those ones for the goal-line technology argument.''
Source: bloomberg.com