Referee mistake raises debate for goal-line technology

Steve Haake, head of sports engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, said that the call from the Uruguayan referee in yesterday’s match was clearly erroneous but he would have saved face with technology to help him make a better decision.

‘The simplest would be video replay,’ he said. ‘The referee still has to make the decision on whether it’s over the line or not but he’s got a better method than just doing it by eye.’

Haake added that companies such as Adidas and technology group Cairos are developing more high-technology solutions. The companies have tested the feasibility of covering the front and back of the goal area in an invisible shield of magnetic radiation. When the ball, which has a sensor built into it, crosses the line, it will flag up a goal on a device worn on the referee’s wrist. 

Alternatively, Haake said, FIFA could look to the success of Hawk-Eye ball trajectory prediction systems used in tennis. These systems use multiple cameras and triangulation to determine whether the ball lands in or outside the line with a reported accuracy of about 2mm.