Goalline technology to be approved

• Hawk-Eye and GoalRef passed scientific tests
• Ukraine-England controversy was final straw

Goalline technology is certain to get the go-ahead from football's lawmakers next week, according to sources on the International Football Association Board.

The two systems, Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, are set to be judged to have passed exhaustive scientific tests to the satisfaction of the Ifab.

The urgency to address the situation, given fresh impetus by Ukraine's disallowed goal against England on 19 June, will also sweep aside any lingering doubts over the two systems.

Although the tests still raised questions over whether the systems would be 100% accurate in every circumstance, the results are understood to be positive enough even for the most sceptical members of the Ifab to give the green light.

The Ifab will stress however that the systems will be approved as an aid to referees rather than the ultimate decision-maker – the official will still make the final call if he or she has any doubts.

The goalline incident on June 19 was a serious blow to the one remaining leading opponent of the technology, the Uefa president Michel Platini, who has been promoting a rival scheme where an extra official stands behind each dead-ball line. Platini said it would be an "historical mistake" if technology was introduced.

The Ukraine-England incident fell perfectly into the lap of the Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who is now a strong supporter of goalline technology and who opposes the extra two officials on the grounds that in many countries there are not a sufficient number of referees.

The Ifab will also consider whether the Uefa experiment with extra officials has been a success. Read More