Business Off The Pitch: When is the right time for the beautiful game to adopt technology?

The progression of the beautiful game tends to side with tradition and culture, the definition of the sport. Technology has not played a significant role revolutionizing the sport despite the controversy that has been known to turn matches in favor of one team or the other.

Evolution and developments, however, have impacted the players’ ability to perform. Nonetheless, organizations and committees continue to discuss the topic as it impacts more than the game played on the pitch.

In recent memory, there has been more than everyone’s fair share of missed calls, wrongful warnings and ejections, incorrect offsides and referees who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is as much a part of the game as is the passion of the fans and the goal celebrations from the players.

As the game brings out the passion in everyone, so does it carry its weight with finances and the business side of the sport. Owners and management do not just monitor the score line; they also cherish the bottom line. Though the solution may appear to be as simple as changing the managers and transferring players, the truth still requires both dollars and cents.

This past week in Major League Soccer saw its own share of poor referees, as did leagues and tournaments abroad. In Philadelphia, a misinterpretation led to a wrongful red card among several missed possession calls during Saturday’s match between San Jose and the Union. Despite stadium officials opting to display the replays of the incidents on the video screen, the fans’ ensuing reactions of boos and derogatory comments resulted in officials promptly cutting the video feed of the replay to the screen.

In Europe, during last week’s UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg between Real Madrid and Barcelona spurred intense reactions and viral videos across the internet. The initial reaction to Pepe’s ‘foul’ on Dani Alves is that it immediately appears to be the correct decision. Upon numerous further reviews and different angles, there appears to be minimal, if not any contact in the tackle. Regardless one’s take or opinion of the tackle, it is difficult to find the referee’s actual decision to be the right decision for the incident.

One call has the ability to singlehandedly impact the outcome of a match, right or wrong. A decision can signal both the end of one club’s season and the extension of another. The acting ability of the modern day footballer has significantly improved leaving referees few reasons to think otherwise. Though some are able to spot the difference, many cannot – even if the player is able to jump to his feet moments after the tackle in event of an ensuing argument or fight.

However, it is not only the fouls, cards and possession, it, too, is goals that have prompted the discussion of technology. The addition of referees on the goal line and behind the net in some leagues, as part of an experiment, has assisted the center referee, but it, too, is not quite perfect. The weekend’s match between Tottenham and Chelsea fell victim to this scenario, as the ball appears to across the line when viewed from certain one angle and appears to have not crossed at all from others. There will always be room for improvement when given the opportunity for human error. The introduction of technology eliminates this risk, but what at what risk does its introduction bring to the beautiful game?

The elimination of the potential for human error reduces the potential for debated calls. Arguments and discussions, alike, among supporters following matches will be defused as calls are no longer subject to interpretation and are more closely defined by the laws of the game. Its use for instant replay, goal line and out of bounds decisions, spot of fouls and defensive wall distances, as well as management decisions, communication with players appears to be a clear solution, but what happens when technology fails? It, too, is subject to error and provides its own risks and flaws. Though it may provide increased accuracy, who is to blame when a call is missed and a goal is not overturned?

The process to introduce technology will be slow and thorough as tests and experiments are performed. The International Football Association Board announced in March its plans to extend testing of goal-line technology for another year before it may be seen regularly in matches and tournaments. Does this provide an opportunity to allow Major League Soccer to show the rest of the world what the game could become?