Video Assistant

The use of the video assistant supports the referee on the field of play by preventing clear cases of incorrect decisions and allows for greater fairness in football.

The video assistant has been used in all 306 Bundesliga matches since the 2017-18 season and was extended to Bundesliga 2 at the start of the 2019-20 season. Since 2018, the relegation play-offs between the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 and between Bundesliga 2 and the 3. Liga have also taken place with the video assistant.

The video assistant may intervene in four scenarios: goals, penalties, red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. The video assistants are based at the Video Assist Centre (VAC) in Cologne. They have access to all the available camera images from the respective match. The video assistants are connected to the referees on the field of play via a radio communication system.