A light to guide the referees

The VELUX EHF FINAL4 is not only Europe’s biggest spectacle for club handball, it’s also the place where new handball technology is tested and used – and the event’s 2014 edition is no exception.

For the second year in a row the EHF will use goal line technology. Three different cameras will be installed in each goal and will provide the referees with excellent pictures if they are in doubt whether the ball has crossed the line.

“The video in question will be available immediately to the referees, and it’s then up to them whether they want to consult this evidence,” says Markus Glaser, head of the competitions department.

A new feature this year is the “LED Goal Light Technology”. An LED light installed behind the goal will light up at the same time as the buzzer sounds for team timeouts and at the end of each half.

Especially when the sound is difficult to hear, this visual signal will be of further help to decide whether a last-second shot has crossed the line.

“Research by the EHF has shown that the acoustic signal for team timeouts and at the end of each half is hard to hear in many halls, especially when there is a lot of noise coming from frenetic spectators,” says Glaser.