Goal Line Technology

Title: Goal-Line Technology the Controversy

Daniel J Barreneche

Nova Southeastern University

Goal-Line Technology the Controversy

Goal-Line Technology (GLT), reality that doesn’t convince the great majority in the world of soccer. After many years of complaints about ghost goals, teams around the world decided to stand up and protest against the International Federation of Football Associate (FIFA) and request them to take drastic measures specifically about this type of incidents. FIFA, soccer maximum entity decided to approve the use of technology in the game.

Whether GLT will be used to help referees with those polemic decisions, keep the fairness of the game, the nature, the value, and the excessive cost were the center of the storm.

Different leagues, qualifier world cup games and two world cups; left teams with not option to qualify or to dispute a final. Ninety minutes playing, fifteen minutes break in between, plus whatever time players wasted arguing with referees about their decision, made the game longer, bored, and in many occasions suspended for aggressions to referees. Why not to use the technology to ease the pressure on referees and ensure the correct decision are made. But the technology is only one step, educating the players and coaches to take greater responsibility, will help to change fans attitude towards the referee and finally stop the idea that he is solely responsible for the result.

The value and fairness decisions are more relevant than the articulated view of Platini and Blatter focus only in the humanity, and purity of the game. However since soccer became more commercial a different angle shows to the surface. Soccer is big money. Numerous investors and thousands of dollars spend it, especially from TV push for a sooner decision to be made; FIFA knows that they cannot afford to lose that income, neither the investors who claim more accuracy from the referees on critical decisions

In 2010, Sepp Blatter (president of FIFA) posted on his ‘President’s Column’ why GLT should not be used in soccer. He addresses different issues regarding justice to the team affected, and what benefits GLT implementation will bring without changing the ‘nature and value’ of the game. Joshua Kaye (2013.) “Blatter as many other soccer personalities believes that maintaining the game the same way it was from the beginning is the main appeal of soccer, and the introduction of technology will create a negative impact on the fans and their ability to relate to the game” (Par. 3).

For GLT supporters there is a different point of view. The controversy created by wrong decisions made by referees, the changes of the game becoming more diverse as well as players, the introduction of technology will not affect the fact. Other sports like tennis and cricket has being using technology for a long time without changing the main core of rules, regardless of whether it is a local game or an international match. Same Philosophy should apply to soccer.

Michel Platini a French soccer legend and now (President of Union of European Football Associations UEFA) is another high profile personality against the introduction of GLT.

In 2008 Platini publicly made his unconformity about the use of technology ‘Today GLT, then Off-side decisions, tomorrow penalty area technology’ the humanity of the game is what needs to be preserve, and as well as Blatter the charm and appeal of the game is the margin of error; the drama of seeing the referee take the decision in a matter of seconds whether is right or wrong will be lose as well as the magic of the game.

The MLS Commissioner decided to put on hold de decision of using technology, because he doesn’t see worth invest million and millions of dollars for a handful of incidents that can be resolve in a different way.

Goal Control; the company in charge of the installation, said that Goal-Line Technology will cost around $290.000 Dollars per stadium and that is not the worst part; around $3.900 dollars per game to operate the system. Michel Platini president of UEFA; said that would take more than $66,000.000 of dollars and 5 years to install all those systems in every European stadium. So if we have leagues with around 20 teams at $3.900 dollars per game do your math, it will cost millions of dollars, and obviously average teams in Europe, and leagues from 3rd world countries will not have a chance to take advantage of this technological advance.

(Andy Mead/ Icon SMI 2013) “Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Graber said he wants MLS to be one of the world’s elite leagues by 2022” (par. 7). Commissioner Graber doesn’t think our local league needs to be the first one using it, Goal-Line Technology is over the line and he is talking about budget line.

FIFA who was the first one to criticize the idea of implementing technology, not only for the humanity of the game that is what referees are for, but the cost of the installation

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