FIFA sticks with human referees

FIFA has decided against using video evidence or microchips inside footballs until it is satisfied that the technology is 100 per cent accurate.

Football associations have experimented with technical aids in the past; the Football Association Premier League in the UK pioneered the use of radios between the referee, the linesmen and the fourth official.

This has greatly reduced the time needed for offside decisions according to the FA. An FA spokesperson told Computeractive that this has proved popular with players and managers alike. Any other technology trials will needed the green light from FIFA.

However the President of FIFA was reported to have said that football must maintain a human face, even if this included human error.

Markus Siegler from FIFA said after the match between France and South Korea on 18 June in the 2006 World Cup that technology was still not reliable.

This is despite the fact TV video replays shown after the match suggested that a goal that was disallowed was actually valid.

As the match ended in a draw, this could have significant implications for both teams.

More advanced technologies however are probably still some way off being used by the football associations.

The under-17 World Cup 2005 in Peru saw the first use of a microchip inside the football. The trial was "not bad" said FIFA but not reliable enough to be used properly yet.

See also:

Microsoft Soccer Scoreboard

All the World Cup action to your desktop  13 Jun 2006

Computeractive World Cup 2006 fixtures planner

Keep track of all the goals and games in the World Cup  23 May 2006

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