'Smart ball' tested again

2005-10-02 09:00

Lima, Peru - Balls implanted with a computer chip will be tested again at December's Club World Championship and Fifa will decide in March whether to use it at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the world body's general secretary said on Saturday.

Urs Linsi disclosed Fifa's plans on the eve of the final at the Under-17 World Cup in Peru, where the so-called "smart ball" was scrutinised for its effectiveness in determining if the ball crossed the goal line.

"It was a positive experiment," Linsi said of the technology's use at the under-17 championship, but he added that there is "still room for improvements."

The microchip sends a signal when it passes over the goal line to a device worn on a referees' wrist.

Linsi refused to disclose the reactions to the "smart ball" Fifa has received thus far because the tournament, which will be decided on Sunday in the final match between Brazil and Mexico, is still in play.

Regardless of the feedback, Fifa will not make any changes to the technology that was used during the Under-17 World Cup before it is used again in the Club World Championship, Linsi said.

- AP