Goal-line technology
The GLT must provide a clear indication as to whether the ball has fully crossed the line, and this information will serve to assist the referee in making their final decision.
In July 2012, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) officially approved the use of goal-line technology, amending the Laws of the Game to permit (but not require) its use.
Goal-line technology is currently used in the top European domestic leagues and at major international competitions such as, since 2014, the men's and women's FIFA World Cups.
In most cases, this is relatively unambiguous (goal nets being a low-tech way of verifying that the ball passed the correct side of the goalposts).
In domestic competition, goal-line technology is only regularly used in a few major European leagues: As of September 2024[update], FIFA's website list 144 stadiums with licensed GLT installations, 135 of which use the Hawk-Eye system.
In response to this, FIFA decided to test a system by Adidas in which a football with an embedded microchip would send a signal to the referee if it crossed a sensor going through the goal.
[44] According to then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who was later forced out of football for his part in a serious corruption scandal, "We did different tests at the Under-17 World Cup in Peru but the evidence wasn't clear so we will carry out trials in junior competitions in 2007".
[47] Before Euro 2012, UEFA president Michel Platini dismissed the need for goal-line technology, instead arguing for placing additional assistant referees behind the goal.
However, in a Group D match with Ukraine losing 1–0 to England, a shot by Ukraine's Marko Dević shot briefly crossed the line within clear view of the goal-line official before it was cleared by England's John Terry, reopening the debate, although an offside in the build-up to the incident was too unnoticed by the match officials.
[48][49] Heeding calls for the use of technology, in July 2011 FIFA began a process of sanctioned tests that eventually resulted in the approval of the systems used in the current game.
[57][58] Following the second phase trials, on 5 July 2012 IFAB approved GoalRef in principle, making it available for use in professional matches under a set of revised Laws of the Game.
[53] Following the success of the trials, in July 2012 IFAB voted unanimously to officially amend the Laws of the Game to permit (but not require) goal-line technology.
[80] Advocates, in turn, cite the many examples of incorrect goal-line decisions deciding important games and point out that the technology has improved much since the initial trials carried out by FIFA.
Advocates contend that any extra help for the referee should outweigh arguments that it would lead to non-uniform rules (since not all football associations would be able to implement it).
Blatter had been opposed to goal-line technology until Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in the 2010 World Cup where the ball clearly crossed the line.
[83] In early 2014, the vast majority of teams in the two divisions of the German Bundesliga voted against introducing goal-line technology for financial reasons.
[84] World governing body FIFA are set to make £300,000 from the Premier League's decision to install goal-line technology in all top-flight stadiums before the start of next season.
Each of the 20 clubs will have to pay FIFA £15,000 to install, test and receive the 'FIFA quality seal' for Hawk-Eye's camera-based system, which is expected to cost around £250,000 per ground in total.
[90] The system came under further scrutiny in 2022 after an EFL Championship game between Huddersfield Town and Blackpool FC saw Yuta Nakayama head the ball over the goal line before being scrambled out by Daniel Grimshaw.
