Giving the video assistant more transparency
19 June 2019 – The DFL was one of the earliest adopters of video assistant technology, introducing it in the Bundesliga at the start of the 2017-18 season. VAR has since become an established part of German football and was consequently used in the 2018-19 season. The technology has helped increase fairness and the accuracy of refereeing decisions in Bundesliga matches. Sitting in the Video Assist Centre in Cologne, with access to footage from all broadcast cameras, the video assistant can quickly review incidents in a game and relay information to the match referee through his earpiece to help avoid clear mistakes.
To minimise disruption to the flow of a game, VAR has thus far been used only to look at key moments such as goals, possible red cards and penalty claims, and to clear up cases of confusion if the referee has made an obvious mistake or missed an incident. Such has been the success of this implementation that Bundesliga 2 will also introduce VAR in the 2019-20 season. However, in addition to making sure that the decisions made on-field are correct, it is just as important that the process is clear to the spectators watching on television or inside the stadium. This is vital in ensuring that the referees’ decisions are elucidated to the highest levels of transparency. This season, the DFL ticked that box, too.
05 March 2019 – Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management are jointly bringing the world’s first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp to Germany. In cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the three partners will host the week-long learning programme with a focus on innovation and technology at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s PreZero Arena in September 2019.
MIT Bootcamps on various topics have already been held around the world with great success. Now TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and the DFL are breaking new ground and underlining their innovation leadership in international elite sport by hosting the MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. The first MIT Bootcamp with sports-related content will provide an international platform for dialogue and inspiration for more than 100 young entrepreneurs, students, innovators and sports industry professionals from around the world. The programme includes workshops, presentations and teamwork projects on the latest developments in sports technology. Professors from MIT and WHU will be joined by numerous other renowned speakers in sharing their knowledge and experiences.
Bootcamp participants will learn how to identify and evaluate opportunities in the sports business and realise them as part of an innovation-driven team. They will also become part of a global network of up-and-coming managers and receive an MIT certificate. 120 participants will be recruited from all of the candidates. Applications can now be submitted at https://bootcamp.mit.edu/sports/.
MIT is one of the world’s leading technical universities, while WHU is one of Germany’s most renowned business schools. MIT and the Center for Sports and Management at WHU are jointly conducting research into the integration of sportsbusiness-specific content into the MIT Bootcamp.
Dr. Peter Görlich, Managing Director of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH: “Innovation is the driving force behind all change. As a creative, innovative club that puts ideas into action, we are proud to be hosting Europe’s first public MIT Bootcamp at the PreZero Arena in the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region. We are looking forward to welcoming leading figures from the fields of technology and sports entrepreneurship to our region.”
Christian Seifert, CEO of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH: “The DFL has a systematic focus on innovation. The courage to embrace technological change is one of the hallmarks of German professional football. Last year, we were a partner of the “SportsInnovation” trade fair, which is set to be held again in 2020. This year, we are delighted to be hosting the world’s first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp together with our partners.”
Prof. Sascha L. Schmidt, Director of the Center for Sports and Management at WHU: “The partnership with MIT is a unique opportunity to bring leading global technology expertise to Germany. Sports entrepreneurship is an ideal fit for WHU and we are looking forward to helping to shape the content of the Bootcamp. In addition to the sports business, we expect our scientific research and teaching to benefit as a result.”
Sportec Solutions has developed a tool for the DFL that delivers this vital on-screen information from the Video Assist Centre directly to the fans, making the Bundesliga the first league in the world with access to such technology. The process is simple: Broadcasters and other media partners can log in to a website portal and choose which match they wish to receive VAR information from. They receive notifications when a review has begun in the given match, along with details explaining the reason for the check, allowing them to notify viewers by means of corresponding on-screen graphics for a red card, penalty, etc. The clear guidelines and instant updates mean television commentators can keep their audience informed throughout the decision-making-process. This reduces confusion and keeps viewers and listeners up to speed – from the moment the video assistant starts a review until the match referee makes the final call on the pitch.
Innovative technology helps to deliver transparency in all VAR reviews. Integrating the information from the Video Assist Centre into existing match-day operations allows VAR graphics to be produced automatically, rather than broadcast partners having to generate them manually themselves. This is an advantage the DFL enjoys over other football leagues around the world. The operators of big screens inside the stadiums are also given access to the same information and graphics so that fans inside the stadium are kept up to speed. In this way, the DFL is further enhancing not just refereeing, but the transparency of the officials’ decisions as well.