Overview
- Supporter groups from several clubs are organizing coordinated protests at DFB-Pokal first-round matches this weekend to demand the abolition of the Video Assistant Referee.
- The DFB will not use VAR in the cup's first round because of technical and financial limits but will deploy the system from the second round onward, earlier than the previous round-of-16 start.
- For 2026/27 the VAR remit in the 1. and 2. Bundesliga has been expanded to allow reviews of clearly wrong second-yellow dismissals and to correct cases where the wrong player was cautioned or sent off.
- DFB and Schiri GmbH officials, including Benjamin Schmedes and Jochen Drees, say they will minimise screen time and only overrule clear, obvious errors to preserve the referee's authority.
- VAR has sparked repeated fan unrest since its introduction about nine years ago, with prior banner protests and fresh debate after the 2026 World Cup, and this weekend's actions could shape how quickly the DFB proceeds with broader use.