- Title: Bundesliga set to introduce video assistant referees next season
- Date: 24th January 2017
- Summary: FRANKFURT, GERMANY (JANUARY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN PODIUM JOURNALISTS VARIOUS OF FIFA REFEREE AND VIDEO PLAYBACK PROJECT LEADER HELLMUT KRUG SHOWING TECHNOLOGY JOURNALIST KRUG SPEAKING JOURNALISTS FIFA AND BUNDESLIGA REFEREE FELIX ZWAYER SPEAKING JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT FOR REFEREES AND QUALIFICATIONS, RONNY ZIMMERMANN, SAYING: "Up to now it's going super, but now we are starting with the live tests, for example the communication between the video assistant and referee. This will be exciting when everything's working. We expect that we will have it working punctually before the coming season." CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT FOR REFEREES AND QUALIFICATIONS, RONNY ZIMMERMANN, SAYING: "There are clear rules for this, all of which have been approved by FIFA - thank God, in this case - by FIFA and the viewer can be sure there will only be very few cases where video playback will intervene." BUNDESLIGA LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT FOR REFEREES AND QUALIFICATIONS, RONNY ZIMMERMANN, SAYING: "The reactions that we have so far, from many contacts in the soccer world, are positive without exception, because I believe, everyone wants this. Everyone wants these planning errors in the system taken away. We are doing this and it should work." ZWAYER TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (German) FIFA AND BUNDESLIGA REFEREE, FELIX ZWAYER, SAYING (ON HOW VIDEO PLAYBACK WILL WORK): "It is of course very central to goal-scoring, then to field referral situations, such as a direct red card. Also a situation such as player substitution, and the concise range penalty area, penalty, yes or no. These are the situations which, in principle, when it comes to (penalty) shootouts, goal-scoring, in the event that the referee is wrong, that he may have missed a perspective or the decision, the video assistant will inform the referee and intervene accordingly and make a recommendation on the correct decision." CAMERA NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 7th February 2017 08:49
- Keywords: video playback referee Bundesliga German soccer league
- Location: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- City: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00160FWR3Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany's Bundesliga and the DFB (German Football Association) have confirmed that they will introduce video assistant referees (VAR) at the start of next season in August.
The Bundesliga began trials this season, and following the result of testing during the first half of the season, they have decided to become the first major soccer league in the world to implement the system.
DFB's Vice-President of Referees and Qualification Ronny Zimmermann, speaking at a press conference in Frankfurt on Monday (January 23), said they were pleased with the trial so far and were expecting everything to be in place for the 2017-18 season start.
"Up to now it's going super, but now we are starting with the live tests, for example the communication between the video assistant and referee. This will be exciting when everything's working. We expect that we will have it working punctually before the coming season," Zimmermann said.
He said that feedback from the soccer world has been "positive without exception" and added:
"I believe, everyone wants this."
FIFA referee Felix Zwayer, who regularly officiates at Bundesliga matches, said:
"When it comes to (penalty) shootouts, goal-scoring, in the event that the referee is wrong, that he may have missed a perspective or the decision, the video assistant will inform the referee and intervene accordingly and make a recommendation on the correct decision."
Video assistant referees were first officially used at December's FIFA World Cup in Yokohama and Osaka, Japan in December. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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