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Goal Line Technology Installed at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium
Goal Line Technology Installed at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium
The goal-line technology system for the Premier League and Wembley Stadium was unveiled today and hailed as one of the most important developments in the 150 years since football rules were laid down.
The Hawk-Eye system uses 14 cameras and will send a signal with the space of a second to the referee's watch and ear-piece indicating that the ball has crossed the line. The first use of the system will take place at the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Wigan at Wembley on Sunday.
The system was unveiled at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium this morning and FA general secretary Alex Horne said: 'This is one of the biggest changes that has happened in the 150 years since we conceived the laws of the game and it is fitting that it is happening in out 150th anniversary year.
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| Signal: Arsene Wenger shows off the watch referees will wear to alert them the ball is over the line |
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| Wenger and referee Anthony Taylor (front right) will be hoping the technology brings an end to dubious goal-line decisions |
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| Technology: If the ball goes over the line then it will flash up on the watch |
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| A new era: Goal-line technology will be used in the Premier League next season, with the Hawk-Eye system installed at every ground |
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| It's a goal: Referee Taylor (wearing watch) displays what officials will see when the ball crosses the line |
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| Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny discusses the new system with referee Taylor |
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| Szczesny and Arsenal host Aston Villa on the opening day of the new Premier League season |
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| Sensors on the stadium roof are part of Hawk-Eye's technology |
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| What a view: A Hawk-Eye camera focuses on a goal at the Emirates |
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| Answers: View inside the Goal Decision System truck |
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| Hawk-Eye inventor Dr Paul Hawkins (left), FA general secretary Alex Horne (middle) and Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore (right) speak at the launch |
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| The catalyst for change: Frank Lampard's 'ghost goal' at the 2010 World Cup finally made Sepp Blatter change his mind on goal-line technology |
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| Here to stay: A rival system, GoalControl, was used at the Confederations Cup and will be installed at next summer's World Cup |
'The object of the game is to put the ball into the goal and the system will help referees to make the correct decision.'
The Hawk-Eye system will also be used in all 20 Premier League grounds.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore added: 'It's a very exciting development in world football.
'It is a goal decision system - it is no longer just goal-line technology.'
When announcing the decision to bring in goal-line technology for this season, Premier League chief executive Richard Scuadmore said: 'Football is fundamentally a simple game; whichever side scores most goals wins. So, when one is scored, or indeed not scored, and we have the ability through technology to definitively know whether the ball crossed the line we should absolutely use it.
'Principally it is about getting it right. Fans, players and managers exhort, strain and stress respectively for their teams to score or prevent goals being scored, so we as administrators should do all that we can to ensure the correct decisions are being made.'
But there is still opposition to the technology inside the game.
In an interview with the Sunday People, Rio Ferdinand made his anti-technology stance clear.
'Change is a word I don’t like in football. It is such a great sport, and we are always trying to find ways to change it. Why?' said the Manchester United defender.
'It has great traditions. Even goal-line technology, I don’t agree with it.
'Incidents like that add to the game because it runs into radio phone-ins, people talk about it in the pub and in other media. Was it a goal or wasn’t it?
'People end up disappointed in those situations but it is swings and roundabouts.'
Sportsmail columnist and former referee Graham Poll is another opposed to the technology.
'I cannot get excited about this long-overdue introduction of technology despite being in favour of it,' he wrote in a column earlier this year.
'While it has been quoted that there have been lots of situations this season where goal-line technology would have been used, there are perhaps only one or two which would have changed decisions and affected the outcome of games.'
UEFA president Michel Platini echoed those sentiments. In fact, the cameras will have to be switched off for Champions League and Europa League matches held in England this season, because Platini did not ratify the decision to use the Hawk-Eye system.
'FIFA decided to put the goal line technology with the help of the English FA. I was against,' he said in his exclusive interview with Sportsmail's Martin Samuel.
'Because I am not against the goal-line technology, I am against the beginning of the technology.
Because if one day you put the goal line technology, then the offside technology, then the corner line technology, then the 18 metres technology, and you will lose.'EYE ON HAWK-EYE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE NAME
While cricket has DRS, football now has GDS. Hawkeye’s system will be known as the 'goal decision system'.THE COST
£250,000 per ground, spread over the four years, plus unspecified operational costs each season. The fee is paid for by each individual club. THE METHOD
When the ball crosses the line an alarm goes off on the referee's watch. Referees will also get an automated voice-recording of 'GOAL' over their headsets if the ball is in. All PGMO Select Group referees are being trained on the new system in time for the new season.THE REPLAY
The intention is for replays to be shown on the big screen, but not all Premier League grounds have screens. TV audiences will see the usual replays instantaneously, followed by a graphical representation of the ball crossing the line less than 20 seconds later. The cameras used to capture whether the ball is over the line or not work at 320 frames per second.THE COMPETITION
The system will be used in all 380 Premier League games this season. It will also be used at FA Cup games where the stadiums have the equipment, as well as at Wembley for the Community Shield and England matches.
