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Adidas' smart ball will not be used at World Cup
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-06 09:16
LEIPZIG, Germany, Dec 5 (Reuters) - FIFA has ruled out using "smartball"
technology at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, saying the system needs more
testing to prove its reliability.
 "We consider the technology is not yet ready," FIFA general secretary
Urs Linsi said on Monday.
The ball, developed by Adidas with Germany's Cairos AG and the German
Fraunhofer Institute, is designed to rule out mistakes on goal-line decisions
and was tested at the World Under-17 Championship in Peru.
It had been due for further live testing at the World Club Championship in
Japan this month but FIFA said on Monday it would not be used at the tournament.
"The logical consequence of this is that we will not used in Germany in
2006," Linsi said.
Thomas van Schaik, Adidas spokesman, said: "We knew of this decision in
advance of course, so we are not surprised, nor are we disappointed.
"The tracking system can be applied to any ball that we manufacture so it has
not affected the development or production of the ball to be used at the World
Cup finals which we believe will be the best ball ever used in the tournament.
"We are still developing the tracking system and when we are convinced it is
100 percent bullet-proof, 100 percent perfect, then that will be the time for it
to be used."
The official tournament ball will be unveiled during the draw ceremony on
Friday evening.
The Adidas smart ball made its debut in Lima at the FIFA Under-17 world
championship in September.
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