Technology use in sports is increasing rapidly, one sport that has resisted the use of high-tech assistance until very recently is soccer/football. Replays could be used to decide off-side decisions, whether a ball passes over the goal line, and to clarify penalty decisions.
Why Soccer Goal Line Technology?
There is a great need for goal-line technology in soccer, particularly as there are numerous examples where the TV reply has been able to show wrong decisions by the referee, where a ball has or has not passed over the goal line, and the goal was given or not given.
Requirements:
There are several options available for goal-line technology. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) had a long trailing period to ensure that they got it right before they implemented any system. For anyone who has seen their team robbed of a win because no such system is in place, it will not be implemented soon enough.
The following four criteria are desired for a successful goal-line system:
The technology should only apply to goal-line decisions.
The system must be 100% accurate.
The signal sent to the referee must be instantaneous.
The signal is only communicated to the match officials.
Smart Ball system
Hawkeye system:
The Football version has been extensively trailed and has performed very well in the test environment. The Hawke Eye system uses three cameras focused on each goal-line, and each taking footage at 600 frames a second. Hawk-Eye is able to give a definitive decision on whether the ball has fully crossed the line, and relay this information in the form of an audible beep to the central referee within half a second. As the Premier League referees use headsets, the signal is easily sent to them. In other leagues, other methods such as through a watch can be used.
Goal Ref system:
The Goal Ref goal detection system has been developed by the company Fraunhofer IIS. This system is a radio-based system, which uses low-frequency magnetic fields to determine whether or not the whole ball has passed over the goal line. There are two magnetic fields - one in the goal area (using coils attached to the goal), the other is created in and around the ball (using a passive electronic circuit embedded in the ball). The data is processed then transmitted wirelessly to the referee’s wristwatch, and a message is displayed in real time, in addition to a vibrating alert.
