CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- FIFA rejected the use of extra match officials at the 2010 World Cup on Wednesday, instead opening a disciplinary case against France's Thierry Henry for a handball in the World Cup playoff against Ireland.
Henry's handball in the World Cup playoff led to a goal and eliminated Ireland. The uproar following the non-call helped prompt Wednesday's emergency meeting of its executive committee ahead of the World Cup draw in South Africa.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said there will be no change for referees at the World Cup from June 11 to July 11. He said plans to introduce more match officials or technology will come at a later stage, while keeping the current experiment in UEFA's Europa League.
Henry twice handled the ball before passing to William Gallas, who scored the goal that gave France a 1-1 draw, allowing the team to advance on aggregate goals to the World Cup.
Blatter described Henry's handball as "blatant unfair playing" that was seen around the world.
The world soccer governing body rejected an appeal by Ireland for the game to replayed or adding it as a 33rd team at the World Cup.
Blatter said no timetable has been set for a ruling on Henry from the panel, which is chaired by Swiss lawyer Marcel Mathier.
The independent disciplinary panel has the authority to impose a one-match suspension on Henry, which would take effect at the start of the World Cup in June.
In a similar case last year, Italian authorities banned Fiorentina forward Alberto Gilardino for two matches after he scored with his forearm in a Serie A match.
The league ruled that Gilardino was unsportsmanlike for not acknowledging the handball during a 3-1 win over Palermo.
Regarding more officials, there have been calls for several years for the use TV technology to clarify calls. Generally, 26 or more cameras are located around the field and could review incidents missed by the referee and two linesmen.
FIFA said it has set up a new working party to look at options.
"The experiments are still going on," Blatter said. "So it is the opinion -- not only of the Referees Committee but of the Sports Committees, Football Committee, Technology Committee, former players such as Michel Platini and Franz Beckenbauer -- that an experiment must first be carried out globally before you can put it into action at the World Cup 2010."
Blatter acknowledged that the issue of video technology was "a long story" but said two companies looking at goal-line technology would report back to soccer's rule-making International Board in March.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
