A smart chip inside a soccer ball could decide the fate of a game.

The chip will determine if the ball crossed the goal line or not in those very tight and controversial plays that are an essential part of soccer.

After watching a replay in a soccer match, debate can erupt on whether or not the ball crossed the line of goal. Whether it did or not, the referee has the last word.

That is how controversy is created.

The smart ball, with its high-tech microchip, will make the decision for the referee by sending a radio signal to his watch when the ball crosses the line of goal.

Since the beginning of last year, Adidas has been the main promoter of the smart ball.

It was originally planned to be used in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup last year in Germany.

The smart ball was denied its introduction by the president of FIFA, Joseph Blatter, who argued that he did not want to use the new ball in the biggest sports event in the world without any previous testing.

The new project awakens different opinions among soccer and non-soccer followers.

Mercedes Splettstoeseer, a junior and former soccer player for the Fresno State women̢۪s soccer team, likes the idea of the smart ball.

“I am for it, because determining if the ball crossed the line or not [it is] a topic that in soccer causes a lot of problems,â€Â Splettstoeseer said. “It’s a good idea.â€Â

Through the years, FIFA has been a strong supporter of the judgment of referees.

FIFA has recognized mistakes made in referee calls, but does not revoke them.

Ciro Ambriz, a senior student at Fresno State, said that this technology that FIFA is looking into using is the right thing to do.

Ambriz believes that there will be no big headaches or regrets on what will happen in soccer matches.

“There will simply be no doubt. If technology is there why not use it,â€Â Abriz said.

Not everyone is in favor of the use of the smart ball. Samuel Jacobo, one of the most prestigious Spanish narrators of soccer for Fox Sports en Espanol and ESPN radio, said in a phone interview that he is totally against the smart ball.

“Soccer needs to be always the same. Controversy is natural in a soccer game,â€Â Jacobo said. “When you allow technology to make decisions the sports loses essence, it loses salsa [flavor].â€Â

Regardless of the advantage that viewers have on TV of watching instant replays and witnessing errors committed by referees over the years, soccer has never lost popularity against other sports, Jacobo said.

“Soccer is passion. It is to sit on the living room with your grandpa, your dad, your son, your mom and all the family and friends,â€Â Jacobo said. “You live the intensity of the game, and it’s because everyone has their own opinion about the call of the referee that we get in our own debates.

“With the smart ball, we are all just going to sit and accept the call. The more natural soccer is the better.â€Â

Blatter, who is known for being a supporter of natural soccer and not believing in a referee making decisions after watching a replay, announced that the ball will be put into testing at the FIFA World Cup 2007 for clubs, which will be held in Tokyo starting Nov. 7.

Andres Roldan, a senior at Fresno State, has played soccer since he was 10 years old. Roldan doesn̢۪t care if the smart ball is used or not.

“I am not against or in favor of it,â€Â Roldan said. “On one hand I think it’s good, but for another, soccer is always full of polemic decisions. The smart ball might take interest away.â€Â