FIFA just made the announcement: the big novelty in the next Club World Cup (held in Japan in December) will be the addition of two extra referees to the regular linesman-referee-linesman trio. Each additional referee will stand close to the goalmouth, although their precise role (as well as their exact positioning) is to be determined later as the competition draws closer.

The proposal, which was strongly supported by UEFA president Michel Platini, was just approved today in the first meeting of FIFA’s new Strategic Committee, chaired by Platini in Zurich.

FIFA also approved the utilization of the ‘Smartball’ technology, the new line of ‘intelligent’ soccer balls developed by Adidas. These balls will be using an embedded microchip to automatically determine if shots have crossed the goal line. ‘Smartballs’ are still undergoing a testing phase, continuing their first use in the Under 17 World Cup in Peru 2005.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which governs the laws of football, gave provisional backing to the use of goal-line technology during a meeting in March. IFAB insisted that the technology had to be instantaneous and 100 percent accurate with decisions transmitted only to the match officials.

The Club World Cup involves soccer’s six continental club champions and the league champions from the host nation. Italy’s AC Milan, Argentina’s Boca Juniors, Mexico’s Pachuca and New Zealand’s Waitakere United have already booked their places in the seven-team competition.

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