Premier League Plan Mid-Season Goal Line Technology Introduction

Goal line technology could be introduced into the Premier League as early as next season, after the International Football Association Board unanimously approved the use of two systems on Thursday.

Both Goalref and Hawk-Eye systems have been given the green light following months of rigorous testing.

Now approved, football associations and leagues are free to make use to technology in the immediate future, and the Premier League have wasted no time in declaring their interest.

"The Premier League has been a long-term advocate of goal line technology," a statement read.

"We will engage in discussions with both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef in the near future with a view to introducing goal-line technology as soon as is practically possible."

The Football League said: "We welcome the decision and will now consider the use of goal line technology in our competitions, in conjunction with our clubs".

The first international use of the technology is likely to be at the FIFA World Club Cup in December, which having won the Champions League last season, will include Chelsea.

Subsequent uses of the system will come in next summer's Confederations Cup in Brazil, before its major tournament debut in the World Cup finals in 2014.

By then however, the Premier League, among other divisions, are likely to have made full use of the technology, with a mid-season introduction expected in England's top flight.

However, Uefa, whose president Michel Platini is against technology in the game, are unlikely to embrace the changes for next season's Champions League; a stark warning that many still remain unconvinced despite Thursday's ruling.

Platini is among those who believe this latest introduction could pave the way for a deluge of alterations in the game, however his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter is adamant this approved system is the end of the game's brush with technology.

"It's not a dangerous development as long as it remains focused on goal-line technology," he said. "I don't want technology anywhere else. I want football to maintain its human face, this will be my goal as long as I am the President of FIFA. We will still have to see how it works. It is only to help the referee, we must remember that.

"Only goal-line decisions," he added. "At any rate, it would be very difficult to use this technology with something like the offside rule."

The Fifa president's view on technology in football was changed upon the non-award of Frank Lampard's effort against Germany in the World Cup second round match in Bloemfontein.

The Chelsea midfielders' shot hit the underside of the bar, before bouncing two yards over the goal-line, only to rebound straight out again. The goal would have drawn England level at 2-2, only for the Germany to eventually win 4-1 after two second half goals.

And it was the incident surrounding Lampard that Blatter says set in motion the tests that led to Thursday's introduction of goal line technology.

"I was absolutely at a loss for words. I couldn't even react," Blatter said of the incident. "I was so shocked that the goal was not allowed. The next day, when I gathered myself, I made the declaration that we should start to consider the technology and look for a simple way to implement it."

Upon confirming the approval of both goal line systems, the IFAB confirmed that further introductions of technology would not be forthcoming.

"Following the conclusion of a nine-month test process that began in August 2011, led by EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), the IFAB unanimously decided to approve in principle both companies that took part in Test Phase 2: GoalRef and Hawk-Eye," a statement read.

"This approval is subject to a final installation test at each stadium before the systems can be used in "real" football matches, in accordance with the FIFA Quality Programme for GLT.

"The IFAB was keen to stress that technology will only be utilised for the goal line and for no other areas of the game."