Fifa has approved the use of a system using the world's first “intelligent” football – it can communicate that it has crossed the goal line. The Select iBall used in the GoalRef system has been tested by the football organization for several months, and has one final test left to pave the way for its use in professional matches. The ball was developed by Peter Knap, the chief executive of the Denmark-based Select. The GoalRef system was developed in partnership with Fraunhofer IIS, a German company. The iBall has an internal web of copper wire that uses induction to communicate with antennae that are attached to the frame of the goal. When the ball crosses the goal, it sends a signal to the referee's watch.

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