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End of the line for the snood

ESPN staff
March 5, 2011
Carlos Tevez will not be permitted to wear a snood next season © PA Photos
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The International FA Board has decided to continue experiments on goal-line technology - and has issued a ban on players wearing snoods.

At the meeting in Newport on Saturday, the IFAB also said UEFA would be allowed to have five match officials at Euro 2012 matches.

FIFA saw ten systems fail to pass its goal-line technology test last month, but the governing body - embarrassed by the failure to award England a valid goal in their 4-1 defeat to Germany at last summer's World Cup - will continue in its efforts to find a usable system for another year.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said after Saturday's meeting in Newport: "If it works definitely, the board will say yes to the technology [next year], and if the board says yes, then there is no problem.

"[That would mean] there should be no problem to have it in 2014, but I have to restrict my natural optimism and come a little bit back because the tests we have had so far are not conclusive."

A firm ruling was made on snoods: players will be banned from wearing the garments, effective immediately despite suggestions they may be permitted until the end of the season. A FIFA statement read: "The IFAB agreed that in relation to Law 4 - Players' Equipment, the wearing of snoods should not be permitted."

Blatter said: "It can also be dangerous. It can be like to hang somebody.

"I was a football player in winter and summer and have never worn that and we must also pay attention to the law that says what the equipment is."

Football Association general secretary Alex Horne, keen to see technology introduced, said he was "fairly satisfied" with the outcome of the meeting.

"It's not perfect because we wanted to get the principle of goal-line technology adopted," Horne said. "Given where we were last year when it got thrown out that was my worst fear that it would happen again.

"My preferred position was we accept the principle and wait for the technology to prove itself. We are now in the position where they want to look at the technology in different environments and then we will make a decision in March next year.

"That's why next year's meeting will be so important."

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