In the DFB Cup
This is how the DFB justifies the late use of VAR
October 29, 2025 – 10:20 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
There are controversial scenes in the DFB Cup, but there are no corrections. Because the video assistant will only be used later in the competition. There are various reasons for this.
The games on Tuesday in the DFB Cup featured several controversial scenes. In the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund, for example, Dortmund’s goal to make it 1-1 should not have counted. Striker Maximilian Beier was just offside when it occurred. In Berlin, Hertha were lucky that a clear handball by Diego Demme in their own penalty area against SV Elversberg was overlooked. And in the game between St. Pauli and Hoffenheim there was also trouble over a penalty decision. The video assistant (VAR) was not used – but why?
There is still no VAR in the second round of the DFB Cup. This will only be used from the round of 16 onwards. The German Football Association (DFB) justifies this step on its website with “capacity reasons”.
The DFB explains: “At the beginning, many small and lower-class clubs are represented in the competition. Installing VAR in all stadiums, which would have to be done in the form of mobile vans in front of the stadiums, would be a high economic and organizational effort.” On Tuesday, for example, a game took place in the Energie Cottbus third division stadium, and today, Wednesday, the regional league team FV Illertissen is in action.
The association also states: “In addition, the VAR means a lot of additional staff, which cannot be covered in the first two rounds with so many games taking place at the same time.”
Eintracht captain Robin Koch would still like the VAR, as he said after the BVB game: “Sure, it would have been great for us if we had had the video evidence today.”
Eintracht’s sports director Markus Krösche added: “It’s pointless to talk about it, we just have to live with it. It makes no sense to discuss whether we should introduce it earlier or not.”
VAR has been used in the Bundesliga since the 2017/18 season. It is intended to support the referees on the pitch in their work. The video assistant has been used in the 2nd league since the 2019/2020 season. The introduction took longer there because the fiber optic cables required for use first had to be laid in the stadiums.