David Moyes: My Everton are baffled by goal-line officials trial

David Moyes admitted he and his team have been left in the dark over experimental new refereeing rules that will be introduced for their Europa Cup tie with AEK Athens.

UEFA are using the game to showcase a revolutionary new approach, with the match official helped by not only two assistants on the line, but also another assistant behind each goal.

But the Everton manager and his squad have been offered no guidelines by the sport’s governing bodies, and Moyes confessed that he has no idea what the expect in the first game of the group stage in the competition.

“Anything which helps the referees is positive, but I don’t know about this. Will this confuse the situation? I’m not sure. We are all waiting to see how it will work out,” he explained.

“I can’t say I understand the new rules that well. We have been given very little information about it, nobody from the referees' association has come in to tell us what is going to happen.

“But the way I understand it there will be two extra officials, one behind each goal. That’s all we know, and I don’t think we are going to get a briefing now - they would have done it before this point.

“Decisions are going to be made through an ear piece and the referee has to make his decision from that, so I suppose there could always be potential for confusion, but we will have to see how it works out.”

Moyes is looking for his side to put behind them their poor start to the Premier League campaign, and try to get off to a flying start in the competition he believes Everton are equipped to make serious progress in.

They reached the quarter final two years ago and only lost on penalties to Fiorentina, after defeating the eventual winners Zenit St Petersburg in the group stages.

And the Everton boss believes his side can go far once more. “We hope - and believe - we are equipped to make an impression.

“Once we have got through the qualifying we have done ok in this competition - it has been getting to this stage that has been the problem.

“The competition is tougher this year, it is a tough draw, but we worked really hard to get here by finishing fifth in the league, and we want to enjoy it now we are here.

“This game is hugely important, we have to get over our poor start, and concentrate on getting the right result out of this game. It can kick start our season, that is certain.”

Moyes is without skipper Phil Neville, the suspended Tony Hibbert and cup tied John Heitinga, and must decide between youngsters Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling as a temporary stand in.