Tags for footballers could replace specs for referees

Electronically tagging footballers could help ensure fairer decisions on the pitch, scientists claimed yesterday.

The system, being developed at the University of Bath, could revolutionise refereeing and training and would give television viewers access to real-time information from live games.

Engineers at the university are working on technology which involves radio transmissions and movement analysis.

The idea is for each player and the ball to carry a tag with a unique electronic signature.

Transmitters and receivers around the pitch would track and triangulate the movements of up to 40 players, plus the ball, to within five centimetres.

"You could see how fast someone is running, how much ground they are covering, and what they are doing in relation to the rest of the team," said the project leader, Alan Bramley.

Football authorities were less enthusiastic about the innovation. A Football Association spokesman said: "Tags would not be permitted under the current rules."