As it turns out, goal-line technology will not be introduced into the modern game anytime soon. The technology, which had been given the provisional go-ahead by the International FA Board last year, will not be used, the Board opting instead to experiment with two additional linesmen.
Line-technology such as the Hawk-Eye system is widely used in tennis and cricket, and was expected to be introduced to English soccer next year. The Telegraph described the unexpected turnaround as an “11th-hour change of heart,” that left English FA CEO Brian Barwick shocked. Sources told the British paper that IFAB members had been persuaded by “a strongly-worded intervention” from UEFA president Michel Platini, who has been staunchly opposed to introducing any technology to the game.
“It’s a big disappointment to us but we have to respect the decision,” Barwick said. “The FA has always been in the vanguard of helping referees make the right decisions. The two experiments that were being undertaken went a long way to making it work. One was very close to being successful and the other two-thirds of the way. We are disappointed they have now been shelved. It’s hard enough to recruit referees already.”