By Andrew Warshaw
January 2 – Just a couple of weeks after goal-line technology was used in official competition for the first time – at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan – Germany’s top refereeing administrator has questioned its accuracy.
Herbert Fandel, the German football federation’s (DFB) head of refereeing, says he is not convinced that either system being used – Hawk-Eye or GoalRef – will prove entirely foolproof citing a ruling that allows for a three centimeter margin of error.
“There are doubts as to see whether the goal-line works 100%,” Fandel said.
“A margin of error of three centimeters is understandably still a bit too high, especially when you consider that the ball
in England’s Euro 2012 match against Ukraine was only a few centimetres behind the line.”
“That would mean that the system would possibly not have recognised that goal. If you spend a lot of money for something, then it must be working properly.”
A FIFA spokesman said the three centimetre ruling no longer applied and that two systems approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) last summer met much stricter criteria. The goal-line technology was used at the FIFA Club World Cup but was not called into action.
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