German football authorities back World Cup VAR use
January 11, 2018
The German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League (DFL) have publicly backed the decision to introduce Video Assistance Refereering (VAR) to the Bundesliga this season and are convinced the technology will be used at the World Cup this summer.
The declaration comes at the halfway stage of a trial period which has been heavily criticized by fans and the media. A major concern is the interruption it causes to match flow.
"We are absolutely convinced VAR makes the game fairer," said DFL Director Ansgar Schwenken at Frankfurt am Main press conference. The DFB provided statstics to support their stance, based on the 1,041 decisions made across 153 Bundesliga matches.
According to the figures, VAR recommended the on-field referee change their decision 50 times so far this season; only twice was the advice ignored. Of the 48 decisions that were reversed, 37 were found to be correct, meaning VAR has directly contributed to 11 incorrect decisions since the start of the season. Schwenken admitted that the technology has to do better in future.
"The eleven incorrect decisions must be reduced to zero in the second half of the season." He said.
The International Football Association Board is set to evaluate the VAR test phase later this month. It will then make a decision on whether or not to continue with the technology, including at this summer's World Cup in Russia, on March 2.
Bundesliga referee Lutz Michael Frölich acknowledged VAR's "teething problems", but backed the technology and its proposed use at the tournament.
"FIFA will use the findings from the German football associations to make the right decision. I think VAR will be used at the World Cup." He said.