When is handball a punishable offense? For Felix Brych, the decision is now so “ungrateful” that he is hoping for help. “I would like the discretion to be taken away from us,” said the football referee on Thursday (April 27, 2023) during a visit to the Sportschau editorial team.
The handball rule is clear, but the assessment could be “very, very difficult,” says Brych. “It’s so thankless that I no longer want to decide,” said the 47-year-old lawyer from Munich. He would therefore like a clearer definition of when a handball is punishable. This is now “a matter of football”, and not the referee.
The interpretation of handball has been modified for years, and a change is being discussed again for the new season. Since the introduction of Video Assistant (VAR), discussions surrounding handheld play have increased as cameras also capture light touches that were previously often overlooked.
“Very important tool, without which I would not whistle anymore”
The VAR was introduced in the Bundesliga for the 2017/18 season. “It wasn’t easy at first, it was like open-heart surgery,” said Brych. He now feels comfortable with the technical help: “It’s a very important tool, I wouldn’t whistle without VAR.”
Felix Brych, who officiated at major tournaments and in 2017, who was the highlight of his career, refereed the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus Turin (4-1) in Cardiff, recently decided to continue one more season at national level. Even after that he will probably stay with the German Football Association (DFB), possibly in the training of young referees.
Rather in the field than in the Cologne cellar
On the 30th match day of the Bundesliga, Brych will not be used as a field referee, but as a VAR in the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg. He also enjoys that, but he prefers the pitch to the so-called Cologne basement: “The contact with the people and the players, the atmosphere in the stadium – that’s extraordinary.”
Because of his passion, which has become a profession, Brych has now also written a book. “From a short distance – My principles of success as a world referee” is the title of the work published by Econ Verlag. Brych calls the introduction of the VAR the “most profound intervention in refereeing”.