Image via Wikipedia

The former UEFA Cup (the now Europa League) will now be played with 5 officials on the pitch starting from next season. This will be done by having an extra official standing behind each of the goals and communicating to each other via headsets.

Of all the English teams, Everton, Aston Villa and Fulham will be part of the 150 clubs set to use this system launched by Sepp Blatter earlier today.

Read on after the jump

The idea is designed to retain human decision making in the beautiful game rather than trying to rely on goal line technology such as the fifth video referee used at rugby games or microchips placed into balls for example.

The following is taken from BBC news:

European football’s governing body FIFA and its rule-making arm, the International Football Association Board, ordered a trial of the system last year as an alternative to using video replays.

Uefa used the five-official system at last year’s under-19 European Championship qualifying matches in Slovenia, Hungary and Cyprus, where it was hailed a success.

Having an extra pair of eyes monitoring play in each area had a preventive effect and promoted better decision making on suspected fouls.

Players were less prone to shirt-pulling at corners and free kicks, diving in the area and dissent, it reported.

The announcement that matches in the Europa League will be played with the experimental system came after a two-day meeting of Fifa’s executive committee in Nassau.

Qualifying-round matches for the Europa League begin in July.

Source: BBC News

Anybody else seem to think that this might be a bad idea? Personally I’ve always been one to say that a Video Ref should be used somewhere in the stands for decisions that involve the ball crossing the line. Far too many times have we seen that this can swing games and the game just needs to be more updated. With extra officials on the pitch, will there be a clash of decisions? What if even these officials get it wrong? I open the floor.