The Bundesliga is set to become the first European top flight league to trial referees explaining VAR decisions to stadium spectators via loudspeakers.

In-stadium video assistant referee (VAR) announcements will be trialled in the top two tiers of German football. The pilot project will take place across nine Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 games from Saturday February 1 onwards.

German soccer referees will start making NFL-style announcements to the crowd to explain video review rulings.

Nine clubs from the top two tiers of German football have agreed to take part in the trial, with the first tests to take place

Starting next weekend, in five selected Bundesliga stadiums, referees will make public announcements to explain key decisions during matches. This initiative, initially implemented as a pilot phase, aims to improve transparency and understanding of refereeing decisions among fans.

The German Football League (DFL) is launching a pilot project where referees will explain VAR decisions to the stadium spectators via loudspeakers starting on Saturday, the governing body said in a statement.