DFL ordinary assembly confirms the introduction of the video assistant in Bundesliga 2

15 May 2019 – In the 306 matches of the Bundesliga 2 season, the same video assistant technology will be used from the 2019-20 season onwards as in the Bundesliga. As early as March 2019, club representatives from Bundesliga 2 had already spoken out in favour of the technology’s introduction in a partial assembly. Today, the ordinary assembly of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga e.V. unanimously decided to change the league statute, which was required for the standardised use of the video assistant.

The DFL will coordinate the other necessary measures in the coming weeks so that the video assistant technology will be available at all Bundesliga 2 venues for the start of the season on 26 July 2019. For this purpose, among other things, all stadiums will be connected to the Video Assistant Centre (VAC) in Cologne via fibre optic cable in order to ensure instant access to the high-resolution images from the stadiums. In addition, the VAC will be expanded from six to ten workstations. The cooperation between the Bundesliga and the technology company Hawk-Eye Innovations, which is already in its third season, will be extended to Bundesliga 2.

Changes to substitution quota and warm-up area decided

Furthermore, the ordinary assembly made the decision to allow a fourth substitution in the second leg of play-offs if this match is extended after the end of the regular playing time. As a result, the DFL competition rules are aligned with the provisions of the DFB, UEFA and FIFA, which also allow a fourth substitution in such cases. This regulation, which applies equally to play-offs between the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 as well as for play-offs between Bundesliga 2 and the third division, comes into force with immediate effect and therefore already applies to the upcoming relegation and promotion play-offs in May 2019.

Back in December 2018, the ordinary assembly had already decided to increase the number of substitutes in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 from seven to nine. After the DFL Football Commission had recently dealt with this topic, the clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 have now decided that in future a maximum of six substitutes per team may warm up at the same time. This change comes into force together with the increase of the substitute allocation for the 2019-20 season and thus does not apply to the play-offs in May 2019.