Experimental Rule 7.13, et al ...

Major League Baseball has adopted Experimental Rule 7.13, governing collisions at home plate. Including the rulebook commentary, which guides implementation of the rule, it takes 351 words to say that runners may not go out of their way to barrel over a catcher, and that a catcher cannot block home plate without having the ball. The word “buttocks” is included, so you know it’s good. ...

See the whole story here, from Sporting News.

Kicking Back Comments: I'm not sure what is funnier the "rule modifications" suggested by SN, or concern showed my MLB to make this "experimental" for 2014. I mean, come on folks, if you think it is important, do it, don't go half way.

For any interested, the text of the rule itself can be found here, in a tweet from MLB.

Platini to petition IFAB for 5 man extension

FIFA SEEKS APPROVAL OF 5 MAN REFEREE SYSTEM AT EURO 2012

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- UEFA's 2012 European Championship tournament could be played using an experimental system of five match officials promoted by its president Michel Platini.

Platini's executive committee agreed Friday to ask again for permission from FIFA's rules-making panel.

The panel, known as IFAB, limited five-referee trials to club football when it met in July. It approved the system for UEFA's Champions League and Europa League competitions until 2012. ...

Full story here, courtesy of TSN.

True to his word

Back a few months ago, Sepp Blatter and IFAB were in discussions about goal line technology in an effort to assist referees with such incidents. I have to be honest, I did not think the effort would get as far as is currently being reported by several news outlets.

At this stage there is apparently an evaluation that will be launched into the 13 companies vying for an opportunity to be the official company to provide goal line technology for FIFA.

This is assuming that it gets that far ...

One aspect that needs consideration is that effect on the referees who have to use the technology. When I was on the way up we would be asked to evaluate new technologies from time to time such as various time keeping devices, uniforms, and communication devices such as the famous "beeper flags."

Interesting too as I saw this from not only the inside out as a referee with US Soccer, but also the outside in as my role as engineer with a company named Trakus, where we worked with the NHL refereeing ranks to test the feasibility of real time tracking of professional hockey games. Of particular concern to the engineering involved was to assure the technology was unobtrusive to the referee doing their job, and seamless in appearance.

I hope these 13 companies recognize this, and give the referees the voice to work with the engineers to better the product to make it both effective and invisible to those viewing. In my estimation, this will be the only way for such technology to succeed in FIFA's eyes.

UEFA GETS IT RIGHT !!!!!

WOW IS THIS REFRESHING!

Thanks to a loyal reader (thanks Jeff) I was pointed today to the UEFA refereeing page to find a story and video explaining the new five referee experiment made for the fans.

My initial reaction is how well done this is. A professionally produced spot that will run in stadiums and broadcast prior to a Champions League match.

Take a look at the video and story here, and tell me that this video banging on the "jumbotron" at your local stadium is not cool. Finally, finally, finally, something to get your blood going about refereeing. The closing line with Collina (who heads the UEFA referee program) is just fantastic.

Now, whether or not the experiment will succeed is a whole other story, and time will tell.

For now I am happy to see such a positive and public advertisement of what is going on. No need to keep it under the covers for folks to try to figure out. Well done!

Also, not lost on me was the quality of the materials provided on the site, as compared to FIFA on the same topic. While not surprised, I am amazed at just how wide a rift exists in the quality of materials. More on that soon.

For now, check out the article and video here.