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]