SoccerBible Debate - Goal-line Referees to Make Debut - 17/09/09
As football fans we've all been affected and left infuriated by the did it/didn't it cross the line scenario. So, in an attempt to eradicate this problem UEFA will tonight controversially introduce two extra assistant referees behind the goal-lines, but what do you think to this experiment?
Goal mouth decisions have affected all of us. Who can forget Pedro Mendes' shot against Manchester United which crossed the line but wasn't given (picture below), or did Liverpool's Champions League semi-final goal against Chelsea really go in? And this season we've seen Crystal Palace have a ball hit the back of the net but because it bounced out again it wasn't given, and more recently would Eduardo's blatant dive have been seen by a goal-line official (picture above)?
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So how will UEFA's experiment work? Well, the plan is to have an additional assistant referee (AAR) positioned beside each goal, specifically to help the match referee judge whether players have dived in the box, fouled each other at corners, or if the ball has crossed the goal-line. The AAR will not have a flag but will communicate with the referee by microphone and headset. And if the experiment proves successful, it could be introduced for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.
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UEFA's idea has been met with a mixed reaction, and to help youform an opinion we have the thoughts of top officials, players and referees including Michel Platini, Petr Cech and David Moyes. And then we want to hear your opinion...
MICHEL PLATINI (UEFA President) - "Things have not improved in refereeing for more than 100 years. I am against video technology because that will take the human face away from the game, but this system will help the referee make the right decision."
HUGH DALLAS (Retired Referee) - "Some people have said we should simply introduce goal-line technology, however, it wouldn't be useful for football because the ball is in the air as often as it is on the ground when contentious issues arise. The referees behind the goal aren't there as a replacement for goal-line technology: rather, they'll operate as a human camera."
PETR CECH (Chelsea Goalkeeper) - "For me if there is a really strong shot which bounces quickly the referee can stay wherever he wants but he still has no chance to see it, the human eye cannot replace technology. And the new rule is the ball has to be 100% over the line. How can you judge that? You don't know if three millimeters of the ball or half a centimeter was not behind the goal-line!"
DAVID MOYES (Everton Manager) - "I think you will see more penalty kicks because of jersey pulling and blocking. We know if you pull a jersey in the box it's a risk but you might find they're giving every single thing and we've not had any directive except to say where they're going to stand and what they're going to do."
NOW WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK OF THESE NEW CHANGES. SHOULD TECHNOLOGY BE INTRODUCED, IS IT FINE AS IT IS OR IS THERE ANOTHER SOLUTION?...
