Goal-line technology

Horne said there were eight or nine systems competing for licences and that all of them could prove successful in technology trials, with individual governing bodies then deciding which of them - if any - to use. "There's not going to be one technology for all of world football," he said. "There's a phase of testing up until March 2012 that will establish whether technology can actually achieve reasonable accuracy - 90 per cent, 99 per cent, maybe 100 per cent. "It's happening live in stadia all around Europe. They can simulate light, they can simulate dark, they can simulate balls rolling across the line, balls being fired in from all different angles." Horne also confirmed that the technology would only be used to establish whether or not a goal had been scored and not for decisions such as offside. "Those single points of scoring a goal are so vital and there are so few of them in a football match compared to tennis or cricket that that is where we need the technology," he said. "If you start using technology to judge offsides, for example, then I think you've gone too far."

FA says goal-line technology

Football Association general secretary Alex Horne has confirmed that goal-line technology will not be used in the Premier League next season. Horne said accuracy testing would not be complete in time for the 2012-13 campaign , with 2013-14 more realistic. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will not approve any technology until after the 2012 European Championships finals. Horne said: "I think that'll be too late for 2012-13." He continued: "I think it'll be 2013-14 because there's then a big capital decision-making process for any league or any competition who want to apply [the technology]."

Non-league final

Between May 10 and the beginning of June, EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) will rigorously assess the reliability and accuracy of each system, as well as how robust the technology is. The German-Danish-owned GoalRef will be tested in two separate matches likely to be in the Danish Superligaen or possibly when Denmark play Australia in a pre-Euro 2012 friendly on 2 June at Copenhagen's Parken Stadion. During the test matches only Fifa's independent testing agency will have access to the system readings and the system will not be available to the match officials. Refereeing decisions will therefore be unaffected. Approval for goal-line technology could arrive when IFAB reconvenes in Kiev on 2 July to analyse the second phase test results. Subject to one or both systems passing the tests the expectation is that the technology will become available to any league or competition wishing to utilise it.