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MANCHESTER - The introduction of goal-line technology moved a step forward yesterday when the International Football Association Board established a set of principles regarding its future use.
Brian Barwick, the chief executive of the English FA which hosted the 121st meeting of the game's ultimate law-making body, said there was general agreement that the time had come for goal-line technology to be introduced.
"We have reached a critical moment and there is a general consensus that the time has come to move forward. It is the right thing to do," he said.
"But if we are going to introduce it we have got to get it 100 per cent right - getting it right is critical, not the time factor."
The board heard presentations from the English and Italian FAs and also had a working report on the adidas/Cairos microchip ball, which was used as an experiment at the World Under-17 Championships in Peru in 2005.
The English FA are to begin testing a system developed by the Hawk-Eye company whose technology has been widely used in cricket and tennis. The experiments are likely to take place among young players at a Premier League academy.
Keith Hackett, the general manager of the Premier League's Match Officials set-up, was part of the team that presented the Hawk-Eye technology to the board and he added: "We had to convince them that we had a solid base for our system coming to fruition.
"Hawk-Eye has a great reputation and I hope we can start trials with it within weeks at academy level."
Fifa currently has no further experiments planned for official tournaments at any level.
The board stipulated that any proposed system seeking approval must adhere to four principles: the technology only applies to goal-line decisions; the system must be 100 per cent accurate; the indication whether the ball has crossed the line or not must be transmitted to the referee immediately, and that the signal is communicated only to the match officials.
In other decisions, the board banned the use of advertising on the ground within the technical area but will allow advertising on the roof of the dugout; said that vests or T-shirts or shorts worn under kit must be the same main colour as the players' kit and that players must not display any political, religious or personal statements on their undergarments.
The international board, formed in 1886, is the game's ultimate law-making body and comprises the four British associations and four representatives from Fifa.
A three-quarters majority of votes must be obtained for any change to the laws, which become effective on July 1.
- REUTERS
