pc4th
13 Aug 2006, 09:42 AM
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1843568,00.html
Referees to get instant TV replays
The Premier League pioneers technology to get decisions right
Denis Campbell, sports news correspondent
Sunday August 13, 2006
The Observer
Premier League clubs plan to kick off a technological revolution in football by giving referees instant replays of controversial incidents during a match to help them get more key decisions right.
England's top 20 teams intend to introduce a system that allows referees to view pictures taken by television cameras so they can rule accurately when a player has dived, whether the ball has crossed the line and if an elbow has been used or punch thrown.
The first step would be the introduction of four tiny cameras hidden in the goalposts to help ensure that officials know for sure when the ball has crossed the line for a goal. This will be brought in, initially on a trial basis, possibly for the 2007-08 season.
But the league intends to expand the use of technology in ways unprecedented in football, such as to help the referee be sure if a tackle was inside or outside the box - and therefore a penalty or not - when a player has dived to win a penalty or get an opponent booked, and whether violent conduct - elbowing, punches, headbutts and vicious challenges - has occurred.
Richard Scudamore, the league's chief executive, said the clubs were acting because fans were fed up with referees getting some key decisions wrong because they did not see incidents as clearly as they would like.
The clubs are determined to press ahead despite the opposition of Fifa, football's world governing body, whose president Sepp Blatter believes that 'we should live with the errors, not only errors of the players and coaches but also errors of the referees'.
Good idea? or Bad idea?
In my opinion, FIFA will not allow this anytime soon. FIFA doesn't even allow retrospective video evidence to punish divers, it won't stand for this. Though FIFA does allow retrospective video review for violent conduct.
Referees to get instant TV replays
The Premier League pioneers technology to get decisions right
Denis Campbell, sports news correspondent
Sunday August 13, 2006
The Observer
Premier League clubs plan to kick off a technological revolution in football by giving referees instant replays of controversial incidents during a match to help them get more key decisions right.
England's top 20 teams intend to introduce a system that allows referees to view pictures taken by television cameras so they can rule accurately when a player has dived, whether the ball has crossed the line and if an elbow has been used or punch thrown.
The first step would be the introduction of four tiny cameras hidden in the goalposts to help ensure that officials know for sure when the ball has crossed the line for a goal. This will be brought in, initially on a trial basis, possibly for the 2007-08 season.
But the league intends to expand the use of technology in ways unprecedented in football, such as to help the referee be sure if a tackle was inside or outside the box - and therefore a penalty or not - when a player has dived to win a penalty or get an opponent booked, and whether violent conduct - elbowing, punches, headbutts and vicious challenges - has occurred.
Richard Scudamore, the league's chief executive, said the clubs were acting because fans were fed up with referees getting some key decisions wrong because they did not see incidents as clearly as they would like.
The clubs are determined to press ahead despite the opposition of Fifa, football's world governing body, whose president Sepp Blatter believes that 'we should live with the errors, not only errors of the players and coaches but also errors of the referees'.
Good idea? or Bad idea?
In my opinion, FIFA will not allow this anytime soon. FIFA doesn't even allow retrospective video evidence to punish divers, it won't stand for this. Though FIFA does allow retrospective video review for violent conduct.