In the women’s Bundesliga in recent weeks there have been some wrong decisions and discussions about introducing VAR – but this is not planned for cost reasons. What is possible without it and what are the conditions for the Bundesliga referees? An interview with Christine Baitinger, sports director of referees at the DFB.
Sportschau: Ms. Baitinger, you have been the sports director of the referees since the beginning of the year. What are your initial findings?
Christine Baitinger: I previously served on the referee committee to some extent on a voluntary basis. So not everything was new to me. Women’s football is developing rapidly. Of course the referees have to be able to keep up. One of my tasks is to create the appropriate opportunities for them.
How do you assess the current level of performance in the women’s Bundesliga? There was no German female referee on the pitch at the 2023 World Cup?
Baitinger: We had a referee in the World Cup squad, Riem Hussein, but then she was injured. If Riem had been fit, the nomination would probably have looked different. But it’s like with players: If I’m unavailable for months due to injury, it’s difficult to be nominated.
Overall, we are very well positioned. We have top female referees, including young ones. We also have a solid midfield that can confidently referee Bundesliga games, followed by young referees who we are gradually introducing to the next requirements.
What does a typical preparation for a Bundesliga weekend look like for the referees?
Baitinger: They are concerned with physical preparation. But also with her job and family, everything has to be organized. We also have mothers with us. Of course you have to look: where is my child when I’m out and about?
Then there is our video platform, which you can use to find out about the teams and the game. What is this game about? Who are the key players? What might have been in the games before? How many spectators am I playing in front of?
And afterwards they go home with a hopefully good feeling and rework the game. There is always an observer in the stadium who assesses the performance of the referees. This is also analyzed and then spoken to the coach so that the further path and opportunities for improvement can be agreed upon.
Recently there were discussions about the VAR, which does not yet exist in the women’s Bundesliga. What other ways are there to improve the conditions for referees in the league?
Baitinger: We do courses, bases, and also very intensive video analysis. And this season we also got a new video analysis tool in which the games are analyzed. What was good, what wasn’t, what can you do better next time: through a different positioning or perhaps a different collaboration with the assistant? The referees also have a fitness coach and a training plan to ensure they are physically fit. We also involve mental trainers in the courses.
All of this, by the way, in parallel with an active 40-hour week. We know we ask a lot of them. That’s exactly one of my tasks for the future: to create financial freedom for the referees so that they can deal more intensively with the games and take a little time off professionally. We have to continue to take developments in women’s football into account.
Do women have a more difficult job than their male colleagues?
Baitinger: It’s definitely a difficult job because they have to balance work and family. It is also very time-consuming. And they don’t have a video assistant to save them from making a clearly wrong decision if necessary.
For the clubs, a lot depends on whether they are relegated or not, whether they get into the Champions League or not. The referee’s responsibility to influence the situation by making a wrong decision under certain circumstances is correspondingly great.
It hasn’t been that long since every game is broadcast live. To what extent does this increase the pressure when you know that many people are watching and decisions will be discussed for a long time?
Baitinger: There’s definitely a lot more pressure when you know it’s going to be on TV. It may be discussed in the press, and the clubs can also take another look at it. And whether I referee a game in front of 1,000 or 38,000 spectators also makes a difference.
But I have to stand up for our referees: We have a lot of natural talents who come in, ignore the whole thing with the kick-off and then just do their job.
The referees now have a larger stage. Do you think this could help find more young talent for the future?
Baitinger: It definitely helps us if women’s football is visible, the more female referees we can talk to and get them excited about our work.
You yourself have also refereed for a long time, including at major international tournaments such as the 2007 World Cup or the 2008 Olympic Games. How has being a referee changed since then?
Christine Baitinger: Even back then it was a big time commitment for us, especially around tournaments like this. I also had to be able to combine it with family and work. But the development of women’s football is of course already noticeable, and the referees have to do even more than I did back then.
Of course, the requirements have changed on and off the pitch. Simply due to the fact that women’s football is much more present in the media. A Champions League final was of course also a big deal in 2007, but now it has become even more important.
There were some major bad decisions this season that were discussed a lot. How satisfied are you with how the season went?
Baitinger: We made some bad decisions, that’s true. Every single mistake annoys the respective referee and us, but we work through them and then look forward. Overall, I have to say, they were individual decisions. Otherwise, the games were largely silent. The referees provided good, unobtrusive performances and we are actually happy with the start of the season.