Video assistant

The video assistant is a joint project between the DFL and the DFB under the aegis of FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for global football rules. It has been used in all Bundesliga matches since the 2017-18 season, and in all Bundesliga 2 matches since the 2019-20 season. Bundesliga 2 uses the same technology as the Bundesliga.

The video assistants are based centrally at the Video Assist Centre (VAC) in Cologne. One team of video assistants can follow up to ten games at a time here. Greater technical reliability is one of the major advantages of this centralised solution. The following premise applies to use of the video assistant: the decision on the pitch is always made by the referee. The video assistant is not there to make a better decision. Also, there will still be situations that cannot be clearly resolved. Even so, the video assistant is an aid that makes football in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 that bit fairer in the event of clear and obvious mistakes.