A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
We believe FIFA has taken a historic step in the right direction this World Cup by introducing goal line technology. The FIFA laws of the game state that a goal occurs "when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar." This may sound simple enough, but it can sometimes be very hard to tell.
What's tricky about these sorts of goals is timing and vantage point. The ball may only be in the goal for a fraction of a second and so it can be difficult for a human eye to tell what really happened. It is also plausible that what looks like a goal from the perspectives of the referee and linesman does not reflect the actual position of the ball. Football needs goal-line technology and football will be better for it.
France's second goal in their World Cup group match against Honduras was a milestone: the first time new automated goal-line technology was used during this tournament to judge whether the ball had crossed the line or not.
The technology, provided by GoalControl GmbH, tracks the position of the ball in relation to the goal-line, with the aim of eliminating human error when deciding whether a goal has been scored or not.
The video replay may have confused the BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce, and quite possibly the French coach Didier Deschamps as well, leading Fifa to review how it broadcasts goal-line technology decisions to avoid confusion, but lets get one thing straight - the technology worked perfectly, showing the that the ball had just crossed the line and allowing the referee to award a goal to France.
The video replay, however, showed two events. One when the goal hit the post and bounced out, which was ruled not a goal, and a second as the ball hit the Honduras goal keeper and bounced over the line, which was ruled a goal for France.
GoalControl have been asked by FIFA to see if any improvements can be made to enhance the viewing experience for fans, but there is no question at all that the technology got it right and got right quickly. Even the short-lived controversy surrounding the two replays was wonderful entertainment. GoalControl would have been forgiven for willfully teasing the huge worldwide TV audience - especially the technophobes. The moment was sheer poetry.
Some people believed their own eyeballs' view of a flat TV screen over the technology designed to verify if a ball crosses the goal-line at the scene. Former Sky Sports pundit Richard Keys was quick to write off the technology, but the rebuff from Sporting Intelliegnce ended such folly with perfect precision. 'For the flat earthers,' Tweeted @sportingintel....' it was over. That's the point of #GLT.'
The GoalControl system???which costs around $250,000 to install per stadium???uses 14 high-speed cameras to track the ball's position both on the field and in the air. If the ball passes the goal line, a buzzing smartwatch alerts the referee within a single second. The key to GoalControl is that it can discreetly offer goal confirmation without disrupting the flow of the game. During the game between Honduras and France, it took just one minute for the TV audience to see that it was in fact a goal.
Whether on the pitch or in the office, technology empowers human performance and can be the difference between winning and losing. In sport the use of technology is an area of debate, but in business there is no argument. Get It Right. Because Business Is Not A Game.??Click here??to find out more.
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