FIFA TO TEST NEW REFEREE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Last updated : 18 March 2003 By Editor
The UEFA website reports that the International Football
Association Board (IFAB) has given FIFA permission to test a
two-way communication system between match officials.

FIFA have said that the first time it will be used is likely
to be the FIFA Confederations Cup which takes place in
France in June. A spokesperson said:

"The use of such a system would improve the co-ordination of
actions between the match officials in a more efficient
manner."

However the IFAB also decided not to introduce the use of
video evidence to help referees:

"The board reconfirmed its previous position that the
decisions of the referee, and in particular factual
decisions related to the result of a match, are final."

The idea of goal-line assistants was to be raised with the
board but FIFA withdrew this proposal after the FIFA
Referees’ Committee expressed reservations about the
experiment. President Sepp Blatter has said he is in favour
of introducing this technology at some point:

"I agree about goal-line control, but so far, with all the
research being done, we have not yet found a solution which
is practical and could be applied,

"We don't want cameras for off-sides or deciding whether
something was inside or outside the penalty area.

"That should be left to the discretion of the three
referees."