Football- Slowing coming into the digital era

Goal-line technology will finally be used selectively in Football (soccer) matches and tournaments. FIFA has launched a tender process for selecting a company to fulfill the contract for its showpiece competitions. 
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) gave the go ahead in July of the introduction of goal line technology by approving Hawk-Eye and GoalRef systems these systems were used in the 2012 Club World Cup venues in Toyota and Yokohama. FIFA said the systems were "successfully" implemented at Decembers tournament. 

Picture from The Guardian

After this success FIFA has confirmed that GLT will be used at the 2013 confederations cups and 2014 World cup in Brazil.  For England fans this has been a long time coming, especially after the controversial Frank Lampard goal in 2010 against Germany in the world cup.

FIFA said in a statement: “The aim is to use GLT in order to support the match officials and to install a system in all stadia, pending the successful installation, and pre-match referee tests. With different technologies on the market, FIFA has launched a tender today, setting out the technical requirements for the two forthcoming competitions in Brazil. The two GLT providers already licensed under FIFA’s Quality Programme for GLT, and other GLT providers currently in the licensing process (that must have passed all relevant tests as of today) are invited to submit tenders. Interested GLT companies will be invited to join an inspection visit to the Confederations Cup venues, currently scheduled for mid-March, with a final decision due to be confirmed in early April.”

 

Picture from thethao.vtc.vn

FIFA has awarded GoalControl, based in Germany a license for its goal-line technology system GoalControl-4D. GoalControl-4D uses 14 high-speed camera located around the pitch which are focused on both goals. The position of the ball is continually and automatically captured in three dimensions as soon as it approaches the goal line. the system will send a signal to the Referees watch in less than a second, one the WHOLE ball has crossed the line. GoalControl will provide GLT at the FIFA Confederations Cups and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. FIFA has confirmed that all  systems will all feature at these cups. GLT, Hawk eye, GoalRef and GoalControl.

Most recently the English Premier League has also said that GLT will be used in next season. GLT will start as early as the Community Shield, at Wembley in August. The Football association general Secretary Alex, Horne, ahead of the International FA Board (IFAB) meeting in Edinburgh, said:

"We are in the middle of tendering at the moment with the Premier League, so its effectively 20 Premier League Clubs and Wembley Stadium. 

"We are looking at the providers that are available and are looking at a couple and will be making a decision shortly. We expect the technology to be in place for next season, for the Community Shield" 

To many football fans this is a great outcome and can only enhance the game. like technology has done for crickets' decision review system, tennis and hawk eye, even in the NFL technology has improved the game. GLT tries to eradicate human error, even if human error can cause that much beloved drama that all sport fans live for. GLT is not 100% fool-proof but will strive to make the game fairer and remove those awful decisions. 

I am all for GLT, it will create new drama and doesn't take away the love or humanity of sports. It can only improve the game and bring sport into digital era.