FIFA Replaces Old Ball With "Smart Ball", Keeps Dumb Referees
The whiners have spoken and now FIFA is finally listening. A “smart ball” designed with an embedded microchip, intended to mark the moment a ball crosses the goal line, will be unveiled at this year’s soccer Club World Championships in Japan. FIFA’s intentions are to test out the prototype in time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and though we greet the news with the excitement of a mime, FIFA executives are applauding the progress.
“A lot of time, energy and money has been invested in development,” said Viacheslav Koloskov, a FIFA executive committee member and chairman of the Japan organising committee. “If everything proceeds well enough, of course, the ball will be widely used at the World Cup in 2010.”
No word yet on technology concerning divers, but a taser gun shooting from the sidelines is always a possibility. Also, how the hell do they stop another “Hand Of God”-esque goal from occurring? Oh, right: prescription lenses and qualified referees oughtta take care of that.
Goal-line technology to be tested in Japan [Turkish Press]
Image [AFP]
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How many times is FIFA going to be re-releasing this ball. Was the first ball, a beta or firmware 1.1, now this one is 2.1…cmon! First the time this technology was used, it didnt even work and no oppurtunity came up that tested its effiency.
Posted by latinogamer | November 16, 2007
I remember the freakin hype of this damn ball before last year’s World Cup. Out of all the technological advancements out there, they can’t figure out a freakin’ computer chip that’ll make a little bulb go off, or “ding” sound when the ball crosses the line?
Posted by Maverick | November 16, 2007
the sensors around the goal area were reporting inaccurate feeds. so it was unrealiable then and will most likely be now
Posted by latinogamer | November 16, 2007
I just wish they could use technology for offsides and free kicks. Perhaps it would have made the Scotland Italy game more interesting.
Posted by The Black Hornet | November 17, 2007
who gives a shit, soccer sucks, it always will, the only thing that would make it more exciting would be an exploding ball that would randomly maim players throughout the 90 minutes of hellish boredom
Posted by real football is american football | November 18, 2007
@real football
Oooo, like in Spiderman when the Green Goblin has that exploding ball? Somebody is angry because he doesn’t understand the offside rule. haha.
Posted by Maverick | November 18, 2007