As you may have seen in my bio on TattleTech, I follow a lot of sports. I mainly follow football, or for the majority of my American readers, “soccer.” I still don’t understand why you guys call it that, but hey… that has nothing to do with this column.

This week’s subject is kind of controversial, as some people struggle to see the need of technology in major sports. My big question for today is, why doesn’t football (soccer) use “goal line” technology, “Hawk-Eye” technology or most importantly, instant replay? I find it very hard to understand why one of the biggest sports in the world, played all over the world, has not found usage for such technology. I personally think that 75-year-old Sebb Platter (President of FIFA) should be dragged into the 21st century.

Most sports: tennis, rugby, American football or even cricket, have found ways to use advanced technology during the games. In these sports, technology serves to maintain competitive integrity and enhance the product.

Both tennis and cricket use a piece of technology called Hawk-Eye, a complex computer system that helps visually track the path of the ball and is also able to display a record of its most statistically likely path as a moving image. In cricket, this is helpful for judging LBWs (leg before wicket). And in tennis, this can tell whether a shot is “in” or “out,” making the game easier for umpires. Hawk-Eye technology makes the sports much more fair because realistically, with players such as Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer who easily serve the ball over 100 mph or with a fast bowler in cricket who can bowl at around 85-95 mph, judgments are very difficult with the naked eye and are often incorrect.

In rugby, a Video Referee or “Television Match Official” is used in most televised games. The Video Referee helps the referee (human) determine whether points have been scored. A television match official can only rule on exactly what the referee asks them, and in most cases they can only be asked about events in-goal or immediately before entering in-goal.

In the National Football League (so you use “soccer” for the game you play with your feet but… never mind, still not the point of this column, but really?), instant replay is used during the game either at the request of a team’s head coach (with limitations) or the officials themselves. This allows the officials to review a play by using cameras at various angles to determine the accuracy of the initial call. Instant replay can be used in the event of a close or otherwise controversial call, making sure that the correct call was made.

Now back to football (the real one). I find it very bizarre that most other sports have introduced review technology and yet football, one of the biggest sports, is missing out. Systems such as Hawk-Eye, goal line technology and instant reply could aid the game greatly and help prevent situations like the following:

This is one of the more famous hand-balls in recent history. It’s pretty clear. Hand, meet ball. France’s Thierry Henry is using his hand to knock the ball back down to his feet, which he would moments later use to score, crushing Ireland’s dream of making it into the World cup. There was no call made on the field. Technology could have definitely prevented this situation.

Now, take a look at this:

In this example, we can see a ball over the line and in the goal. That is a goal. Clearly. Unfortunately, it was not ruled as such when England’s Frank Lampard took the shot, trying to come back from 2-1 down against Germany during their second round match of the 2010 World Cup. Replay would have remedied this.

These moments are both infamous, but should have been known for other reasons. Bad calls took away from what should have been triumphant moments in sports. Goal line technology, Hawk-Eye technology and instant reply could have insured that the focus remain on the play and not on the officiating. Isn’t it therefor in FIFA’s best interest to install all of this technology?

I think it’s a no-brainer, but this remains a controversial subject and a few of you may not agree with my point. If you think you can change my mind, Tweet @Tattletech and give me your best argument!