New for the 2024/25 season: Bundesliga introduces "captain's rule" after Euro 2024 success
Euro 2024 saw the implementation of a new rule permitting only team captains to speak to referees, and it will now be a permanent feature in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.
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UEFA say the new ‘captain’s rule’ will “enhance communication around referees' decisions and encourage mutual trust,” something which was on display at the championships in Germany over the summer.
Other non-captains who break rank and complain or behave disrespectfully will be cautioned with a yellow card. It is also up to the player with the armband to take responsibility for their teammates, making sure they don’t surround the referee and instead show respect.
In situations where the team captain is a goalkeeper, for example Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich, the shot-stopper will nominate another player to speak to the referee, rather than leaving their goal-mouth for discussions.
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With the rule in place at the European Championships, interruptions were significantly shorter and there were fewer discussions on the pitch. This successful experiment has encouraged the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, the German Football Association (DFB) and the DFB Schiri GmbH to apply the rule in Germany in the future.
From the 2024/25 season, the rule will be in place throughout all German football leagues, including the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, as well as the cup competitions, the women's national leagues and the amateur and youth divisions.
Ansgar Schwenken, the DFL's Director of Match Operations and Fans, said of the decision: "After we in the Football Commission and in coordination with the Association of German Football Coaches campaigned for rigorous punishment of unsportsmanlike conduct last season, the implementation of the 'captain rule' is the logical next step for even more fairness and respect."
In addition to the ‘captain’s rule’, referees have also been encouraged to take consistent action against unsportsmanlike conduct such as delaying the game or kicking the ball away during the 2024/25 season.
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