Video evidence has long been part of professional football. However, the 3rd division is refusing to use technical aids – partly because of the fans.

Video evidence will not be coming to the 3rd division of German football anytime soon. “We have obtained an assessment from the fan scene. We believe that the 3rd division is a league where it wouldn’t fit so well,” said Tom Eilers, chairman of the division’s committee at the German Football Association, at a press conference on Thursday. Especially in fan circles, the technical aids are often viewed critically because they contradict the tradition of football.

At a recent semi-annual conference of the 20 third-division clubs, the topic of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was discussed. “Of course, the league is always dealing with it,” said Manuel Hartmann, managing director of match operations at the DFB, at a press conference held by the association on Thursday. However, he pointed out that “the camera standard is significantly lower than in the second division and even more so than in the Bundesliga”. Therefore, the introduction at the current time is not an issue for the clubs.