Daniel Hung Lee

Professor Mary Miles

English 137H
1 December 2015
Goal-Line Technology in Professional Soccer
In the high stakes world of professional sports, the smallest margins can, and usually do,
make all the difference. Until fairly recently, this burden was placed solely on the lofty shoulders
of humans brave or foolish enough to officiate games. Naturally, an inevitable element of human
error was present, and wrong decisions became part and parcel of sports. These lapses in
judgment were further magnified with the invention of television. Mistakes which were once
destined only for the eyes of God were now in full view of the public. Without a place to hide, it
soon became evident that the referees needed help. Fast forward to present day, and high-level
sports has undergone a technological revolution. Most importantly, almost every major sport has
an instant replay system in place. Although reluctant at first, soccer has since also done so. The
recent implementation of goal-line technology in some sectors of the sport represents a paradigm
shift of seismic proportions, and will undoubtedly usher in a new and better age for soccer with
technology at its core.
Soccer is known by many names. The beautiful game, sure. The world game, obviously.
Unfortunately, it is far from being the innovative game. In the Round of 16 of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup, Englands Frank Lampard deftly lofted the ball over the opposing German
goalkeeper. The ball ricocheted off the underside of the bar twice before Manuel Neuer could
catch it. Lampard immediately wheeled away in celebration as two quick fire goals restored

parity and optimism for the Three Lions. Only problem was, it did not count. By some miracle,
none of the officials saw the ball clearly crossing the line by more than a foot. The English knew
it, the Germans knew it, and everyone watching at home definitely knew it. Unfortunately for
Englands hopes of a first World Cup trophy since 1966, the only ones who could have awarded
the goal did not, and the Germans went on to triumph 4-1 (Hughes). In the absence of goal-line
technology, an issue of heated debate leading up to said tournament, the officials were found
wanting. Yet again, on the biggest stage, FIFA were left embarrassed.
In retrospect, the goal, or rather the lack of it, was the pivotal moment in the eventual
implementation of goal-line technology. To fully understand why, we have to backtrack five
years to 2005, when calls for implementation first started gaining traction. On a cold winters
night in Manchester, Tottenham Hotspurs and perennial giants Manchester United were
deadlocked at 0-0. With a minute left in regulation time, Tottenham midfielder Pedro Mendes
attempted an ambitious lob from just over the halfway line. The out-of-position Roy Carroll
frantically scrambled back, only to inexplicably fumble the ball backwards and over the line
before promptly recovering it. At that moment, all eyes turned to the linesman, Rob Lewis, and
his flag. It never went up. Rob Lewis had this to say about the incident: There was nothing I
could have done apart from run faster than Linford Christie. I pride myself on being fast over a
short distance but when the ball landed I was still 25 yards from goal and it was impossible to
judge if it had crossed the line (Wheeler). This nationally-televised event was widely panned,
and highlighted the obvious limitations of the system used to determine goals. Not only because
of the frequently large distances between ball and game officials, but also a multitude of other
factors such as obstructed views and misdirection which were all too common.

The public outcry worked wonders, as the International Football Association Board
(IFAB), the body that determines the Laws of the Game, were compelled to introduce
preliminary testing of goal-line technology in the 2005 U-17 World Championship
(International F.A. Board). The system in question was developed by Cairos Technologies
together with Adidas, and consists of a microchipped soccer ball that is sensitive to magnetic
fields. It was further tested at the 2007 World Club Championship in Tokyo, where it
successfully overturned a signaled goal (Tutton). In a similar timeline, the English Premier
League also took measures to implement goal-line technology, albeit with Hawk-Eye as its
chosen provider. A series of tests were conducted from 2006 to 2007 in stadiums and training
grounds across England, making more progress than was initially expected (History of GoalLine Technology). Of the two technologies, Hawk-Eyes high-speed cameras proved superior to
its magnetic field-based counterpart, both in terms of track record and practicality.
Unfortunately, despite the headway being made, FIFA remained unconvinced. Alternative
solutions were discussed, and in February of 2009, a decision was reached by the IFAB to
institute the additional assistant referee system. As the name implies, the system employs the use
of two additional assistant referees, stationed alongside each goal. UEFA chief refereeing officer
Pierluigi Collina explained: The main goal is for additional assistant referees to give support
when a decision has to be taken particularly inside the penalty area, where a decision can affect
the result of a match (Additional Assistant Referees). Since then, the system has been used in
all of UEFAs club competitions, and is still ongoing today in spite of its astonishingly poor
success rate. Nevertheless, this did not end the technology debate. If anything, it added fuel to
the fire. In response to a seemingly straightforward foul on one of his players inside the penalty
box, longtime Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger exclaimed: We have been denied a certain

penalty. What is the fifth official doing if he cant see that? Its an absolutely useless system
(Jackson).
The debate intensified with each bad call leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in
South Africa. When French forward Thierry Henry blatantly handled the ball to secure
qualification at the expense of Ireland, tensions flared to wartime levels. After the game, Henry
openly admitted to the crime, saying: I will be honest, it was a handball. But Im not the ref. I
played it, the ref allowed it. Thats a question you should ask him (Ogden). The debate finally
reached a boil following Frank Lampards disallowed goal, creating a public backlash that was
unprecedented in the history of the sport. Real-life Disney villain and FIFA president Sepp
Blatter was forced to reopen testing of goal-line technology (Gibson).
At long last, in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, goal-line technology made its official
debut. The technology was a resounding success, correctly indicating every one of the 68 goals
scored. As a result, it was greenlighted for use in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil (Goal-Line
Technology Set up Ahead). Its performance in Brazil proved to be an even bigger success,
playing a crucial role on several occasions. Most memorably, Bryan Ruizs sensational headed
goal against Italy, which was reminiscent of Lampards strike four years prior, symbolized that
soccer has banished its demons and entered a new era (Goal Line Technology at Brazil 2014).
Locally, goal-line technology is used in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga
(Bundesliga to Use Goalline Technology). To justify its implementation, Premier League
Executive Chairman, Richard Scudamore, said: Football is fundamentally a simple game;
whichever side scores most goals wins. So, when one is scored, or indeed not scored, and we
have the ability through technology to definitively know whether the ball crossed the line we
should absolutely use it (Premier League to Use Hawk-Eye).

To conclude, the introduction of goal-line technology changed the face of professional

soccer, and signifies the start of a technological makeover which will rejuvenate the sport. While
there are certainly a handful of applicable arguments against the use of technology, such as those
concerning the fluidity and traditionality of the game, they are significantly outweighed by the
obvious benefits. Moreover, they are rooted in an idealistic sense of the way its supposed to
be, which has no objective value in a culture obsessed with being right. Soccer purists may
moan, but the reality of the situation is that this is only the beginning. And that is a good thing.

Works Cited

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