Soccer may go beyond cricket’s third umpire. FIFA, football’s world governing body, will wait until March before deciding whether to use an electronically chipped ball at the World Cup finals in Germany.

FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler says a meeting in March will discuss the tests of the chipped ball and decide whether it is ready for the 2006 finals, running from June 9 to July 9.

The association believes the e-ball can help referees make crucial goal-line calls that are sometimes impossible even with countless TV replays.

Geoff Hurst’s goal for England in the 1966 World Cup final 4-2 win over Germany is the best remembered goal-line incident. But almost a decade later, no one is sure whether the ball crossed the line.