Extra refs for Uefa events

Platini to experiment with five referees

By Mike Barton   Last updated: 27th May 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Extra refs for Uefa events

Platini: Using five referees

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UEFA have announced that they will be implementing two more officials during games in the Champions League and Euro 2012 qualifiers next season.

The experiment to use a linesman behind each goal was implemented into the inaugural Europa League tournament during the current campaign to aid better decisions over penalty box scuffles and whether balls cross the line.

The plan will stay in place for the Europa League tournament, and has been extended for a further two years, but the move into the confederation's two major club and national tournaments indicates that it has been regarded as a success.

Despite the system's proposal as an alternative to goalmouth technology to determine whether a ball crossed the line, there have been critics who state that the extra officials do not contribute as much as video evidence would, something Uefa president Michel Platini refuted, claiming that the system worked.

Flow

"The two additional referees will give more flow to the game," said Platini.

"The arrival of TV has shown up referees' mistakes - the referee sees a lot but with an extra four eyes you will see more things and you help the referee to take a better decision.

"My problem as the originator of this idea and Uefa president and Fifa vice-president is that we have to cover all the parts of the field.

"That's why I have been fighting for this. TV cameras show all the mistakes in slow motion."