Fourth company licensed to provide goal-line technology

GoalControl GmbH are the third German firm to receive a licence a

A fourth company has been licensed by FIFA to provide goal-line technology, it was announced today.

GoalControl GmbH are the third German firm to receive a licence and like British-based firm Hawk-Eye use a system based on cameras.

Leagues and competition organisers can choose any one of the systems if they wish to install the technology.

The granting of the licence to GoalControl will be presented to delegates at the International FA Board, the game's law-making body, who are gathering in Edinburgh today.

The Premier League said yesterday that goal-line technology systems will be mandatory in its clubs' stadiums from as early as next season.

League chiefs are in "advanced talks" with two of licensed providers of the technology, Hawkeye and GoalRef, and are hopeful that all 20 clubs will have a system in place by August.

Having a system will be a pre-condition to taking part in the top flight, so all promoted clubs will have to implement the systems as well.

FIFA will report to IFAB that both the systems worked without errors in the Club World Cup in Japan - all 21 goals scored were flashed to the referee's wrist-device within a second of the ball crossing the line.

Furthermore, no goals were registered when the ball struck the woodwork or the side-netting - issues that led to a number of other systems being refused licences during testing last year.

GoalRef and another system by German firm CAIROS use changes in magnetic field to detect when the ball has crossed the line.

PA