Bundesliga Enhances Transparency with Referee Bodycams and Video Reviews

In an effort to boost transparency, the Bundesliga will offer fans and TV audiences additional details on video reviews and body camera footage worn by referees starting next season. The league announced that stadiums will broadcast explanations for all video review decisions, aiming to enhance the viewers' understanding of the game.

Following trials in selected Bundesliga stadiums since January, the initiative will be officially launched from August 22 in the top-tier stadiums, with the second tier joining on October 17. This expansion comes after successful trials and aligns with a global push by the FIFA-backed IFAB, which supports the use of bodycams in domestic competitions worldwide.

Previously limited to FIFA events, such as the recent Club World Cup in the United States, the bodycam footage offers eye-level perspectives from referees' headset cameras. This move addresses long-standing demands from fans and broadcasters for quicker and more detailed information on the rationale behind referee decisions during matches.

(With inputs from agencies.)