Premier League hopes for hi-tech leap

The Premier League will investigate whether it is feasible to bring in goal-line technology for next season ahead of a July decision by football’s law-makers.

The International FA Board (IFAB) on Saturday approved goal-line technology in principle and will go ahead with final tests on two systems, one from British company Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, by a German-Danish firm.

A final decision will be taken in July and even though the new season kicks off only six weeks later, Premier League sources say they will look at whether it could be possible to have a system in place.

If the time available is too short for the Premier League, the first introduction would probably be FIFA’s Club World Cup in Japan in December.

FA general secretary Alex Horne believes the Premier League would struggle to have a system put in place in time for next season.

Horne said: “The reality is that asking 20 clubs to put something in place in five weeks, all tested and calibrated, is unlikely, and the Premier League would probably not want to introduce it midway through the competition.”

Hawk-Eye’s is a camera-based system while GoalRef uses a magnetic field around the goal with a special ball to identify a goal situation.

The systems will only act as an aid to referees, with a signal sent to the official only within a second of the ball crossing the line.

The Hawk-Eye system is being introduced this year by the GAA for the All-Ireland championships.