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NASSAU - The Europa League, the renamed UEFA Cup, will
feature five on-field match officials next season as part of a FIFA
experiment, world football's governing body said on
Sunday.
FIFA's plan features two extra officials to monitor the penalty
boxes to help referees with the tough calls close to goal as an
alternative to proposals for the use of video images.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), comprising
the four British associations and four FIFA representatives, which
sets the rules for the world's most popular sport, has backed the
experiment.
"We were looking where we could conduct this experiment and we
have found the solution together with (UEFA president) Michel
Platini and UEFA - they have put at disposal the newly named Europa
League," said Blatter, speaking before FIFA's congress in the
Bahamas.
The experimental matches will start at the group stage of the
competition.
"It will be conducted under the auspices of FIFA but UEFA is
doing it, we are also happy that they are covering the costs," he
quipped.
While Platini has said he hopes the system will be in place for
the continent-wide European Championships in 2012, to be held in
Poland and Ukraine, there is some confusion over the
terminology.
Blatter initially referred to "two additional assistant
referees" before correcting to "two additional officials."
The system was used in an international youth tournament in
Cyprus and has been tried out in Slovenia and Hungary.
In experiments so far the two extra officials spend much of the
time behind the goal line, in the area not covered by the assistant
referees (linesmen).