Video evidence explained via announcement
Referee announcement: Tests will be carried out in these stadiums
January 27, 2025 – 2:25 p.mReading time: 1 min.
A new project will start in some first and second league football stadiums next weekend: VAR decisions will be explained directly in the stadium.
In the future, referees will explain video evidence (VAR) decisions in the first and second Bundesliga via announcements directly to the spectators in the stadium. The project will initially be implemented in nine selected arenas. The test phase, based on the model of ice hockey or American football, begins next weekend.
The additional service should be used for the following games if necessary: Bayern Munich – Holstein Kiel, FC St. Pauli – FC Augsburg and Fortuna Düsseldorf – SSV Ulm 1846 on Saturday. As well as Eintracht Frankfurt – VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen – 1899 Hoffenheim on Sunday. The stadiums of Borussia Dortmund, SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig and SpVgg Greuther Fürth will also be part of the test phase.
“We want to make the VAR system better and more transparent,” said sports director Max Eberl from FC Bayern Munich, who sits on the DFL’s “Football” commission. This nine-member committee of the German Football League decided on the so-called “public announcement” in the stadiums.
For communication between the referee and his assistants, there is already a radio connection on the field and to the video assistants in Cologne. For the new stadium announcements, the referee will only have to activate a connection to the loudspeakers in the respective arena.