FIFA to review smart ball
Ap, Lima
FIFA will discuss whether an experimental electronic microchip inside soccer balls needs refining before it can be introduced at next year's World Cup in Germany.FIFA spokesman Andreas Werz said Friday that FIFA president Sepp Blatter would meet with the International Football Association board on Saturday morning. "The most important topic is the goal-line technology, of course," Werz told The Associated Press of the meeting. The microchip, designed to confirm whether or not a ball has crossed the goal line, has been used for the last three weeks at the under-17 world championships in Peru. Werz said the technology was installed in four of the five stadiums where the tournament has been played. The adidas balls contained a microchip that sent a signal whenever they passed over sensors in the touch line, alerting referees via a special device worn on the wrist. Werz said there were no goal-line controversies during the under-17 tournament -- which will be decided in Sunday's final between Brazil and Mexico -- but that the chip did help clarify a few minor calls. "We didn't have one single '66 Wembley situation," said Werz, referring to the 1966 World Cup final when a linesman ruled that Geoff Hurst's shot had crossed the goal-line for England's third goal against West Germany at Wembley. Although the ball didn't cross the line, the goal stood and England went on to win 4-2.
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