German referees to speed up VAR, reduce interventions

German football referees are set to implement changes in the new season aimed at streamlining the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system and restoring spontaneity to the game. Knut Kircher, head of German football referees, announced that decisions requiring video review should be made as quickly as possible, ideally within 90 seconds, and that referees should intervene less often.

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The error must be immediately obvious, and the decision must be clear immediately.

"The error must be immediately obvious, and the decision must be clear immediately," Kircher told RTL/Sky. He emphasized that if the initial decision is clearly wrong, it should be evident from the first or second camera angle. The system will only consider additional angles if necessary, but will avoid prolonged reviews that disrupt the game's flow.

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We think this should happen within a maximum of 60 to 90 seconds to ensure clarity.

Beyond faster decision-making, the goal is to reduce the number of VAR interventions altogether. Referees are encouraged to avoid getting bogged down in excessive detail, allowing for more natural and spontaneous play. Kircher anticipates a significant decrease in cases where VAR overturns an on-field referee's original decision.

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If, however, the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth camera angle is needed, then we no longer have the clarity we desire.

Additionally, a notable change concerns the punishment for players covering their mouths during confrontations. Unlike at the recent World Cup, this action will no longer result in an automatic red card. Instead, it will be penalized with a yellow card. Kircher explained this adjustment by referencing FIFA's three-step protocol for addressing racist insults, stating that a yellow card is considered a sufficient measure in such instances.

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We are not naive, but we still believe that a yellow card is a sufficient measure.