The referees in the 3rd division have also completed a training camp. Here, they were prepared for penalty situations and instructed to apply the captain’s rule more strictly again. Rot-Weiss Essen will face 1860 Munich in the opening match. It is not yet known who will referee the game. One thing is clear: the referees have also prepared for the season in a training camp. There are 23 referees who will be allowed to referee in the 3rd league in the 2025/26 season.
Former referee Florian Meyer, now sporting director for the 3rd league referees, emphasized a few days before the start of the league: “I saw a lot of good and very good refereeing last season. We want to develop highly talented referees to prepare them for the 2nd Bundesliga. Thirteen third division referees have made it to the 2nd Bundesliga in the last three years. I can feel the anticipation among the entire team. Everyone is well prepared.”
During the preseason preparations, Meyer named three areas of focus for the new season.
Number 1: Holding offences in the penalty area
Meyer and his team have identified a number of incidents where players were brought down far away from the ball. For the new season, he announced: “We have made the referees aware that they should also penalize such incidents.”
Number 2: The captain’s rules when arguing with the referee
These rules have been in place for a year and state that only the team captain is allowed to speak to the referee, while other players must refrain from doing so – otherwise they will receive a warning.
The captain’s rule took up most of the press conference before the start of the season. One thing is clear: it must be enforced more strictly again, as Meyer made clear. He emphasized: “Last season, the interpretation was a little loose. We started very consistently, but there were a few lapses in the middle of the first half of the season, so we took countermeasures. In the second half of the season, the approach was more stringent again. There are now clear guidelines for the clubs that the referees will act clearly and strictly. My message to the players is that if I know about it, I can adjust my behavior accordingly.” Otherwise, we could see scenes like those in last season’s Bundesliga match between Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart. In that game, Union received four cautions in 30 seconds after a scuffle broke out. Meyer: “All players must expect to be cautioned. But especially those who stand out in such situations.”
Another thing that is important to Meyer is that there must be greater respect for one another again. The 56-year-old described the 96 yellow cards shown to team officials last season as “alarming.”
Measures are therefore being taken to improve relations. Meyer: “The way we treat each other and show respect must improve. This can only be achieved through greater dialogue.”
This is to take place through so-called feedback discussions. These can take place after a game or through phone calls after the matches. On match days, there will be a so-called handshake dialogue from the Bundesliga to the 3rd league. 70 minutes before a game, the referee team, the captains, and the coaches will come together to prepare for the game. The aim is to have a personal exchange about how to interact with each other during the game and what the conditions are like before the game. Here, too, the goal is respectful interaction. Number 3: The eight-second rule This rule states that goalkeepers will now be allowed to control the ball with their hands or arms for eight seconds instead of six. If a goalkeeper takes longer, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team. The referee counts down the last five seconds with his hand raised. The previous rule, which would have resulted in an indirect free kick in the penalty area, was rarely enforced. Meyer: “There were also tactical sessions on this at the referees’ training camp. I don’t see any major problems here.”