A fourth company has been licensed by FIFA to provide goal-line technology, it has been announced.
GoalControl GmbH are the third German firm to receive a licence and like British-based firm Hawk-Eye use a system based on cameras. Leagues and competition organisers can choose any one of the systems if they wish to install the technology.
The granting of the licence to GoalControl will be presented to delegates at the International FA Board, the game's law-making body, who are gathering in Edinburgh on Friday.
On Thursday the Premier League said that goal-line technology systems will be mandatory in its clubs' stadiums from as early as next season. League chiefs are in "advanced talks" with two licensed providers of the technology, Hawkeye and GoalRef, and are hopeful that all 20 clubs will have a system in place by August.
Having a system will be a pre-condition to taking part in the top flight, so all promoted clubs will have to implement the systems as well. FIFA will report to IFAB that both the systems worked without errors in the Club World Cup in Japan - all 21 goals scored were flashed to the referee's wrist-device within a second of the ball crossing the line.
Furthermore, no goals were registered when the ball struck the woodwork or the side-netting - issues that led to a number of other systems being refused licences during testing last year.
GoalRef and another system by German firm CAIROS use changes in magnetic field to detect when the ball has crossed the line. Meanwhile, it has emerged that replays of goal-line technology decisions may be allowed to be shown on TV and on big screens in stadiums.
A 34-page booklet sent to national associations states said: "This is up to the competition organiser. The question of whether and how replays are shown on TV or on an LED screen in a stadium should be one of the first discussion points when starting the implementation of goal-line technology in a competition.
"FIFA recommends involving referees in this discussion as well, due to the fact that the main objective of GLT is to support and protest the referee."
There could be opportunities for sponsors to become involved in such replays, as they are in cricket and tennis. The Premier League said no discussions had been held on sponsorship so far.
Source: PA
