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NFL eye chip-in-ball technology

"Yes, we are talking. There is a demand in American Football," Cairos sales director Mario Hanus told Reuters in a recent interview on the sidelines of the Soccerex Asian forum in Singapore.

The NFL would not deny or confirm the talks. However, a spokesman for the league said on Tuesday that they are looking at expanding their use of technology.

"We are always exploring ways in which we can be innovative with technology to improve our game and our fans enjoyment of the game," spokesman Michael Signora said.

"There are other sports more open to the topic maybe than soccer at this time but the requirements are different and the development was in first placed to solve that particular issue (in football)," Hanus said.

"In American Football you have the same situation, you need to cross a line and the ball needs to be over the line 100 percent and they (the players) are always above the ball (covering it)."

Hanus demonstrated the technology which uses a football, made by German sporting goods company Adidas, capable of holding a small chip in the centre and, should it fully cross the goalline, would send an alert to an officials' watch.

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