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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Technology Report. |
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Goal line technology made its debut |
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in international football |
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at the Confederations Cup in Brazil |
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that ended on sunday. |
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The move to goal line technology |
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follows international pressure |
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on the sport's governing body FIFA |
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after a missed call in the 2010 World Cup. |
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Video replays of a match clearly show |
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that England's Frank Lampard had scored a goal against Germany. |
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However, that goal was denied because neither the referee |
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nor linesman saw the ball cross the goal line. |
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The incident caused such a stir that FIFA |
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approve the development of goal line technology. |
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That technology was put to the test |
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at the Confederations Cup in Brazil which began June 15. |
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Bjorn Linder is the chairman of GoalControl, |
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the German-based company |
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that won the goal line technology contract |
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for this year's Confederations Cup. |
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His team spend weeks in Brazil before the games |
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as part of the FIFA certification process. |
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"The whole system uses 14 cameras |
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that are installed on the catwalk. |
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We have seven cameras per goal and computers |
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that are connected to those cameras. |
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The computers are catching the images, |
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around 500 pictures per second." |
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Computers track the path of the ball in real time |
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and reconstruct the play. |
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"Once the computer perceives the ball has crossed the goal line, |
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it gives a signal to the referee's watch, |
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so all the referees on the field receive the signal. |
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It vibrates and gives an optical signal 'goal' |
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and he knows a goal has occurred." |
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Electronic eyes on the goal line may settle arguments, |
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but the data is still only a reconstruction of reality. |
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Nic Fleming is a London-based science and technology writer, |
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he believes the use of goal line technology is a chance |
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to educate people about the role of uncertainty in science. |
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"These are fantastic tools, |
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but let's be realistic about their limitations, |
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that science is about probabilities. |
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What better way than to have this message in a game so popular." |
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GoalControl claims an accuracy of plus-or-minus 5 millimeters, |
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this is well under FIFA's minimum requirement of plus |
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or minus 3 centimeters. |
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Nic Fleming would like to see that number flashed on the screen. |
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He says viewers could compare the replays |
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to the computer reconstruction and learn a little science. |
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"The wider point really is that science is central |
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to many public debates today, |
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whether that's climate change or nuclear power or genetic modification. |
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In all of these cases science provides probabilities. |
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It does not provide yes-no, black-white answers |
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that is quite important to the public understands that." |
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Goal-line technology may become a central part of the sport, |
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but it is important to remember that is still the referee, |
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not the computer, that makes the final call. |
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And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English, |
