Ghost goals haunt game

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Since our evolution from a raving, blubbering, wandering primate to a social, coherent and consequently limited Homo Sapien, man has learnt to not trust two things — man and man’s inventions.

It was, and is considered, that any human and anything created by a fellow human had within them certain aspects to be wary of, multiple trapdoors that could open any minute and a number of flaws that were largely inherent.

Technology had for long been looked at with similar distrust. However, accessibility and ease of use have allayed a large number of those fears and relegated them to mere footnotes in history. Sport, however, remained the last bastion.

Football, in particular, remains a sport almost untouched, played the same way and with the same rules since its inception, barring a few minor changes.

The question of technology and clamours for its use arise mostly due to an oft repeated error from referees; failing to spot whether the whole of the football had crossed the line or not.

Tottenham Hotspur would testify for being on the wrong side of the decision against Manchester United a few years back and most recently against Chelsea.

The FA and FIFA have announced various plans even over the last 8-10 years to introduce technology that would assist referees to make the decision faster than a video replay’s cumbersome process would allow. Introduced, waited for the clamour to die down, and then quietly pushed it under the dust.

The debate remains rooted in the efficacy of such a technology. But surely the efficacy can be determined through a phased introduction into lower leagues, and gradually adopting it to the higher leagues.

However, until such concrete steps are taken, the ghost goals will continue to haunt the football pitch.