A new rule introduced during the Euros - that only the captain can communicate with the referee and that other players will face a yellow card if they protest - is causing a lot of concern and discussion in the German soccer world, according to the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The German Football Association (DFB) is currently considering whether to introduce this rule into the
Bundesliga
etc. leagues.
Responding to a query from DPA, a DFB official said, "We are in discussions with those responsible for the Bundesliga, the third division and the German Cup to assess whether similar UEFA rules should be introduced and how they can be implemented in domestic tournaments. We are closely monitoring the implementation of refereeing during the Europa League and the overall tournament results."
The implementation of this new rule means that only the captain on the field can communicate and interact with the referee as the official representative of the team. If the captain is the goalkeeper, he may designate a player to communicate instead. This rule is intended to improve the order and discipline of the game and reduce friction and protest behavior between players and referees on the field.
This consideration by the DFB shows that while they respect and learn from the rules of the top European competitions, they also want to improve the quality of play and spectacle in the domestic league through similar measures. The details and timetable for implementation have yet to be finalized, but the issue will continue to be widely discussed in the German soccer community.
