News

Fröhlich on VAR: “It’s worked perfectly nine times”

video assistant referee (VAR) project. Chair of the elite refereeing committee, Michael Fröhlich, talks with DFB.de about the generally positive trial so far and announces that an assessment of the value of the experience gained will be given in the next international break.

DFB.de: Mr. Fröhlich, with your hand on your heart, can you say that you’ve enjoyed the test run of VAR in the Bundesliga so far?

Lutz Michael Fröhlich: Of course I can, because overall it’s worked well, even if the media have portrayed it slightly differently at times. We’ve already had nine cases, in which it’s worked exactly as we wanted in the first five matchdays. It’s corrected clearly wrong decisions from referees nine times – so, almost twice per matchday. For example, when it changed a yellow card to a red in the match between Freiburg and Dortmund, or when the decision to award a penalty was taken back in the Hamburg vs. Leipzig match. However, these perfect cases don’t get much attention.

DFB.de: Instead, there are very heated public debates...

Fröhlich: ...which are understandable to an extent. However, to some people it’s not yet completely clear why VAR intervenes on some occasions and sometimes doesn’t. That is what we’re tasked with changing. Soon, we’ll have this criteria and we’ll then inform the public but, first and foremost, the clubs.

DFB.de: When will that happen?

Fröhlich: We have to keep trialling the system and gaining experience for the next two matchdays and then use the international break to revisit all the instances when VAR has been used and analyse those situations. Then, we’ll be able to see more clearly what was a clear mistake by the referee and what was wasn’t. Then we can better tweak the system to improve it, whether that means changes on the pitch or for the video assistant referees. The final decision always lies with the referee on the pitch and we have to make sure that they’re not relying on VAR in 50-50 situations, but continue to make their own decision. That’s when the decisions will be best.

DFB.de: What do the referees think about the VAR system so far?

Fröhlich: They’re positive about it, just as they always have been. They find it useful that there’s somebody in Cologne who can intervene and help out when there’s a clearly wrong decision, but only in those cases and that’s understandable. Because the referee’s attention should, has to and will continue to be on what’s happening on the pitch.

DFB.de: 1. FC Köln, who so far haven’t benefitted from any decisions from the referee or the video assistants, have wrote a letter to you. What did they write?

Fröhlich: Exactly what I just alluded to. That there’s a need to say clearly and simplistically when the video assistant should or shouldn’t intervene. Generally, I’d like to emphasise that the letter – just like public statements that Köln have made – is very fair. That shows that, despite all the initial problems we’ve had, which we also suggested there would be, there’s an acceptance and a positive attitude towards the video assistant project. Maybe there’s even more that what there seems to be in the public.

DFB.de: So it’s not all bad as it seems?

Fröhlich: Exactly. We’re at the start of a test phase. It was clear that it wouldn’t all be smooth and we expected that. But the test phase will last for 34 matchdays, not just five. Also, the video assistants aren’t machines – they’re humans. So, despite all the advantages, there’s still the risk of human error.

created by dfb

video assistant referee (VAR) project. Chair of the elite refereeing committee, Michael Fröhlich, talks with DFB.de about the generally positive trial so far and announces that an assessment of the value of the experience gained will be given in the next international break.

DFB.de: Mr. Fröhlich, with your hand on your heart, can you say that you’ve enjoyed the test run of VAR in the Bundesliga so far?

Lutz Michael Fröhlich: Of course I can, because overall it’s worked well, even if the media have portrayed it slightly differently at times. We’ve already had nine cases, in which it’s worked exactly as we wanted in the first five matchdays. It’s corrected clearly wrong decisions from referees nine times – so, almost twice per matchday. For example, when it changed a yellow card to a red in the match between Freiburg and Dortmund, or when the decision to award a penalty was taken back in the Hamburg vs. Leipzig match. However, these perfect cases don’t get much attention.

DFB.de: Instead, there are very heated public debates...

Fröhlich: ...which are understandable to an extent. However, to some people it’s not yet completely clear why VAR intervenes on some occasions and sometimes doesn’t. That is what we’re tasked with changing. Soon, we’ll have this criteria and we’ll then inform the public but, first and foremost, the clubs.

DFB.de: When will that happen?

Fröhlich: We have to keep trialling the system and gaining experience for the next two matchdays and then use the international break to revisit all the instances when VAR has been used and analyse those situations. Then, we’ll be able to see more clearly what was a clear mistake by the referee and what was wasn’t. Then we can better tweak the system to improve it, whether that means changes on the pitch or for the video assistant referees. The final decision always lies with the referee on the pitch and we have to make sure that they’re not relying on VAR in 50-50 situations, but continue to make their own decision. That’s when the decisions will be best.

DFB.de: What do the referees think about the VAR system so far?

Fröhlich: They’re positive about it, just as they always have been. They find it useful that there’s somebody in Cologne who can intervene and help out when there’s a clearly wrong decision, but only in those cases and that’s understandable. Because the referee’s attention should, has to and will continue to be on what’s happening on the pitch.

DFB.de: 1. FC Köln, who so far haven’t benefitted from any decisions from the referee or the video assistants, have wrote a letter to you. What did they write?

Fröhlich: Exactly what I just alluded to. That there’s a need to say clearly and simplistically when the video assistant should or shouldn’t intervene. Generally, I’d like to emphasise that the letter – just like public statements that Köln have made – is very fair. That shows that, despite all the initial problems we’ve had, which we also suggested there would be, there’s an acceptance and a positive attitude towards the video assistant project. Maybe there’s even more that what there seems to be in the public.

DFB.de: So it’s not all bad as it seems?

Fröhlich: Exactly. We’re at the start of a test phase. It was clear that it wouldn’t all be smooth and we expected that. But the test phase will last for 34 matchdays, not just five. Also, the video assistants aren’t machines – they’re humans. So, despite all the advantages, there’s still the risk of human error.