In a world where technology takes giants leaps from year to year one sport has so far been extremely reluctant to bring technology to the game.
In recent years we have seen Cricket umpires have the help of video technology, baseball use VT to check if runners have made it to a base, we have the Challenge call in American Football and both Rugby Union and Rugby League have incorporated VT to make critical decisions on tries.
Traditionalists will argue that the game has been around in one form or another for over a century, that talking points will diminish and that simply the game is O.K. as it is now! I argue the other way. As a fan, it pains me time after time to see my team concede blantanly offside goals and have goals not acknowledged as the officials are unsure if the ball has crossed the line (even when 60,000 people have seen it). How long does it take Sky, BBC, ITV or Five to have a replay on our screens of these big moments in games? The answer of course is seconds. Generally these replays are conclusive, if not as in any sport the element of doubt should mean no goal.
Look at Cricket or American Football. Big decisions are decided using technology which could take contests one way or another. Was this change a big deal to the fans, the players or governing bodies, not really is the answer. Things will never be perfect, but if you can have 99.9% certainty that is good enough for me. I propose that FIFA, UEFA the FA or whoever is responsible for bringing such technology in to our game should do so as soon as possible. Hawkeye technology as used in cricket or Cyclops as used in tennis are already there, and could surely be manipulated to aid in decisions with a little bit of trialling.
I have to say, referees come under massive scrutiny when making split second, gut reaction decisions. Get a big enough decisions wrong and some are demoted for not getting it right. Wrong decisions can cost managers their jobs and there can be massive consequences for clubs such as relegation.
There will only be a handful of decisions in each top tier game which require the help of technology, some will take a minute or two to resolve others will take a lot less time. Will fans really be put out by games finishing 10-15 minutes later or having to start 15 minutes earlier, I think not. I’m not asking for every game to have video technology aid the referee, but surely competitions with as much television coverage as the Premier League and the Championship, or leagues like La Liga, Serie A and MLS could incorporate this within weeks of the nod being given by governing bodies. You have to move with technology in any walk of life, why should football be different. If there’s a camera at a game - it can be done. Even Setanta’s Blue Sq Premier League coverage could incorporate such technology, and why not?
