FIFA reject Wanderers proposals

Can technology and football be fused?

In the same week that FIFA have rejected Bolton Wanderers’ call for ‘video referees’, the leader of England’s professional referees has admitted that the Premiership club has proved that video technology can be a vital boost to match officials performance.

Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside believes football should follow the lead of rugby league and use technology to aid referees decision-making.

His suggestion drew a strong response from a FIFA spokesman:

“FIFA has always refused the assistance of video for refereeing matters. One reason for this is that it has not been possible to implement such technical means at a universal level. This point is particularly crucial as the same laws and conditions must apply worldwide so as to avoid that competitions such as the World Cup with about 800 preliminary matches around the globe become distorted. Rather than introducing technology, FIFA’s intentions are focussed on making referees more professional, where they can devote additional time to training and recuperation.”

Meanwhile, Keith Hackett - the general manager of Professional Game Match Officials - has revealed that Bolton have already assisted in improving standards by demonstrating the ProZone system. It analyses camera-fed information about the movement of players and officials in a game.

Mr Hackett recalled a visit to their Chorley training headquarters two years ago when he discussed a ‘debatable’ incident with Bolton boss Sam Allardyce.

He explained:

“I felt quite confident as I went up there, because I had seen video evidence of the incident and that appeared to prove that the referee’s assistant had made the right decision. When Sam showed me the ProZone version of the action it showed that the assistant had got it wrong. I returned to the Premier League with a strong recommendation that we took the product on board. It is, in my view, world class, and when I demonstrated it to other referees around the world they were stunned by the quality and content.”