FIFA postpones goalline technology exploration

FIFA's International Football Association Board (IFAB) has closed the prospect of exploring goalline technology until the annual general meeting in March 2011.

This follows comments made earlier this month by Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, regarding his interest in the technology. Blatter’s comments were in response to the controversial goal made by Fiorentina’s Alberto Gilardino on 4 Octobar, which the referee and his assistant did not see.

The IFBA, football’s lawmakers, determined that UEFA’s experiment should be completed first. An extra assistant is being placed at each end of the goalline.

FIFA had originally tested the goalline technology two years ago at Craven Cottage and Reading’s training ground, however the IFAB rejected the idea at the 2008 annual general meeting.