a watch or earpiece . The system was tested at Premier League football club Fulham in 2006 and then at Reading 's training ground in 2007 . It was backed by the British Football Association and funded by the Premier League . Another goal-line technology , a microchipped football , was developed by Adidas and German firm Cairos Technologies . A microchip built into the football detects a magnetic field generated by underground cables in the penalty area . Like the Hawk-Eye system it uses a computer to send a signal to the referee 's watch when a goal is scored . The system was tested at the World Under-17 Championships in 2005 and the 2007 World Club Championship in Tokyo . The International Football Association Board -LRB- IFAB -RRB- , which decides the laws of the game , discusses new rules at an annual general meeting consisting of four representatives from FIFA and one each from England , Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales . Explaining the IFAB 's decision , Blatter said the microchipped ball had failed in one of the seven World Club Championship matches because of interference to the signal sent to the referee and that
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The debate about using technology to help referees has been re-ignited following a number of controversial decisions in the Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona . The Hawk-Eye system is already widely used in tennis and has transformed the game . Sepp Blatter , president of FIFA , the game 's governing body , has consistently opposed the use of in-game video replays , but goal-line technology , to determine if the ball has crossed the goal line , has received more support . The Hawk-Eye system is extensively used in tennis , using cameras to calculate the trajectory of the ball . The system then uses the trajectory data to determine exactly where the ball has hit the ground , making it invaluable for marginal line calls . Using similar technology , Hawk-Eye Innovations , based in England , has developed a football system to determine if a goal has been scored . It again uses cameras to track the ball and computers to calculate its position . If the system detects that the ball has crossed the goal line a central computer transmits a signal to the referee via either