The Otten Innovation Cup is played under different rules than usual. We spoke to referee Victor de Roos about these rules and about his experience at the tournament. De Roos is enthusiastic about the Otten Innovation Cup: “It’s a wonderful tournament, and it’s great to be here and referee. Testing out new rules, which I’m experiencing for the first time as well, makes it even more enjoyable.”
At the Otten Innovation Cup, several rules are being tested, including the self-pass for free kicks and when the ball goes out of play and effective playing time. De Roos has noticed that these rules change the game for both referees and players: “The game is much faster. Normally, for example, you have to take a throw-in when the ball goes out of play or after a foul. Now, you notice that the ball is immediately put down and play continues straight away. As a referee, you also have fewer moments to catch your breath, so you have to be even more alert. It’s more physically demanding, although that is generally the case at a tournament because you have more matches in a short period of time.”
Professional football
He finds it difficult to say whether these rules could also be introduced in professional football: “I’m a big fan of the rules used at this tournament, but this is obviously still a pilot. If you were to introduce these rules in professional football and use them throughout the entire season, you would get a much better idea of their effects. So, for now, we’ll have to wait and see. There are already some other rules this year, such as the countdown for throw-ins and goal kicks, which have been introduced to combat unsporting behaviour.”
It is noticeable that players rarely protest against refereeing decisions. De Roos has his thoughts on this: “It could certainly be that the new rules contribute to this. The opposition can immediately get on with the game, and perhaps players are able to get over their initial emotions more quickly.”
Battle for thirde place
The referee has noticed that the tournament features teams of a high level: “You notice it mainly from the high speed of play. The intensity is very high, so you certainly notice that.” He is looking forward to refereeing the battle for third place between Chelsea and Monaco: “I’m really looking forward to it. You know that both teams really want to finish third, so there will be a lot of fighting for it. You take that into account to some extent, but mainly I’m just going to enjoy the match.”