Video Tech CAN Work, but Must Improve for Football

Technology is always good. How can you not like things to improve? Be made easier? Things to get better?

Technology has improved the world, making everyday tasks easier and faster; we have all benefited from it. So why can't the sport of football be one of the avenues that can be made even better by the introduction of video technology?

But it has to be handled the right way, so as not to disrupt the flow of the beautiful game.




What makes football amazing is that it's quick and never stops. It's not like basketball or rugby where the game has to come to a standstill for an aeon as three referees try to come to the conclusion on a decision.

I don't want that to be introduced in my sport.

The Club World Cup saw the first use of this new video technology to allow referees to have a second look at decisions. So for example, when Cristiano scored a goal in one of the games, the opposition claimed he was offside, and this allowed the referee to consult his video assistant, and upon further observation, the goal stood.

For something I was very apprehensive of, thinking it would ruin football; the process was pretty swift and I had to say that my mind was open to the idea.

Now, it isn't perfect yet and it shouldn't now be brought in en masse for all competitions in the world. It was a great idea for it to be used as a trial in the Club World Cup which is a tournament of little relevance.

What needs to be worked on is how to make it even quicker. So rather than the referee having to consult his video-man, he should have a mini-screen at hand which he can look at to reduce the time it takes for him to go all the way to the touchline.

When it was at the Club World Cup, something about the process felt a bit too similar to basketball and rugby, which brought some unease.

We're living in a world of touchscreen mobile-phones, and the ability to play video games with friends thousands of miles away. I see no reason why we can't have technology that allows the referee to have a mobile device that can backtrack incidents in a match.

So if a ball comes into the box, and players scream there was a handball, the referee simply rewinds the play on his mobile device, watches the footage, and can make a decision upon a second look.

And that's that. No third and fourth looks which would waste even more time. Just a second eye, and we move on.

Opponents to having this in football need to put themselves in the shoes of a fan or a team who fall victim to a bad decision. You look at the infamous "Hand of God". If there was video technology, that goal would not have stood, and who knows what would have happened?

England would still have lost the game, but at least it wouldn't have been as painful.



I am all for this, but it needs to be refined and perhaps some time needs to be taken until the right technology comes along that allows the referee to have the power to use it at his fingertips.








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 HH