ZURICH (AP) — FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says the experimental five-officials system of refereeing soccer matches needs to be approved next year if it’s to be ready for the 2014 World Cup.
Valcke tells The Associated Press that elite referees will begin FIFA’s three-year training program in 2011 for the tournament in Brazil, and each must start working with a regular team of either two or four assistants.
FIFA’s rule-making panel could make a fast-track decision on the issue next June, although worldwide five-official trials are scheduled to run for two more years.
FIFA wants to raise refereeing standards after errors impacted some 2010 World Cup matches.
The five-officials system places an extra assistant beside each goal to advise the referee.
