Goal-line technology debuts at FIFA World Cup

Call it Frank Lampard’s legacy. The English midfielder’s strike from long range at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa created a controversy that eventually led to a rule change.

For years it was football’s Achilles' Heel – but not anymore. For the first time at a FIFA World Cup, say hello to Goal-Line Technology. It does what it says on the tin. In a fraction of a second, a complex system of cameras informs the referee whether a goal has been scored, taking guesswork out of the equation. When the referee and his assistants can’t be sure if the ball has crossed the goal line, GLT is there to settle the debate before it starts.

The argument raged for years before a single incident changed the landscape. Four years ago, England was losing to Germany in a World Cup round of 16 match when Lampard attempted a long-range shot.

The strike took Germany’s goalkeeper by surprise. Manuel Neuer made a desperate dive but the ball looped over his head, striking the underside of the crossbar, crashing down to the turf and bouncing back into play. A relieved Neuer gathered the ball and play continued, but TV replays clearly showed the ball had bounced behind the goal-line before spinning back into the goalie’s hands. Just months before the South Africa World Cup, the experiments came to a halt.

Video replay finally embraced

The sport’s world governing body, FIFA, had historically resisted the introduction of video replays, directed companies developing Goal-Line Technology to terminate the program and save their money. Lampard’s ‘ghost’ goal changed everything.

The viewing millions saw what the referee did not. The whole world knew it was a legitimate goal – but from his vantage point, the match official could not be sure if the ball had crossed the line.

In a heartbeat, the longstanding argument against embracing technology was redundant.

The very credibility of the sport was at stake. FIFA’s complete U-Turn quickly followed the 2010 tournament – its executive knowing the integrity of the game could never again be so publicly compromised at the highest level.

Every stadium at the 2014 World Cup is equipped with 14 high-speed cameras (seven directed at each goal) and the referee wears a special watch that transmits a visual and audio message within half a second of the incident. 

GLT was auditioned during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup at a number of stadiums that will host World Cup matches, and is already being used by the English Premier League. The elephant in the room has finally been addressed and removed. Whether GLT will actually be needed in Brazil remains to be seen, but soccer’s eye in the sky is here to stay.