[//\/\/]

with blatter apologising to england and mexico, it looks like something's going to change anyway...

as for goal/no goal decisions - that's as much a linesman's call than a ref's - often moreso as he's usually the closest official to the incident. that said, uefa have been trialling with extra linesmen behind the goal in the uefa cup this season, and iirc there was a couple of absolute howlers there too...

if you look at cricket (where there's plently of time to stop and scratch your arse about things) you have umpires who are now too scared to give a decision and err on the side of caution, referring even clear-cut decisions to the third bloke. furthermore, you have people moaning about playing some tests where technology isn't available/is too dear and therefore isn't used - so you have an effective 2-tier version of the sport - and that's at TEST level... so with football you have to think about the technical implications of this. which leagues/competitions? how many teams? how many grounds? haves/have nots? not every league can afford this - look at the shit state of football finances in The Best League In The World and ask how many would like to install/test and run new technology... ...you also need a replay technician at every match, a team to run the technology, somewhere to house it, an extra official to adjudicate...

and for how many instances, as chuck rightly asks?