Blatter backs goal-line technology

Soccer:Fifa president Sepp Blatter has given his backing to the introduction of goal-line technology, whether Uefa president Michel Platini is in favour of it or not.

The Swiss insists he would "die" if he witnessed another World Cup goal-line blunder such as Frank Lampard's disallowed goal for England against Germany in South Africa. Blatter believes he can convince football's law-makers to agree to bring in goal-line technology despite the opposition of some of the game's most senior figures.

Blatter arrived in England on Friday for a meeting of the International FA Board, who will be given a report on the latest tests of goal-line systems ahead of a final decision in July.

Platini and Franz Beckenbauer, head of Fifa's football taskforce 2014, are both opposed to the technology but Blatter has pushed for it since the embarrassment of Lampard's disallowed goal during the 2010 World Cup match against Germany.

"We don't want a repeat of last World Cup," Blatter said. "I think I can convince the IFAB board that we must go forward with technology, we cannot afford to just wait and see what happens. Platini doesn't want it but I wouldn't be again in a World Cup and witness another situation - I would die."

The IFAB is made up of Fifa, who have four votes, and the four home nations, who have one each.

Jonathan Ford, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, believes that goal-line systems will get the thumbs up if the technology is proved to be infallible.

Two systems, one of them developed by British company Hawkeye, are understood to now be close to fulfilling all the criteria demanded but other systems failed hopelessly when tested by Fifa.

Ford told Press Association Sport: "I think goal-line systems will happen - but only once they get the technology right."

The IFAB will also be asked to overturn the ban on Muslim women players wearing headscarves this weekend.

The ban has been on safety grounds, and FIFA member Prince Ali of Jordan will present IFAB with a specially-designed headscarf or hijab that is designed to fall off immediately if pulled.

The law-makers will also be asked to change the rule for an automatic red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Fifa are proposing that a red card should only be automatic outside the penalty area and that if a spot-kick is awarded then the referee should only dismiss the culprit for "denying an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by holding or an offence committed from behind inside his own penalty area when he has no opportunity to play the ball".