DFB-Pokal First Round Sunday Highlights: Broadcasts and New Substitution Rule Stir Debate

The 2026 DFB-Pokal first round continued on Sunday with a packed schedule of matches beginning at 1 PM and running into the evening. Fans in Germany had multiple options to watch the action live, with all games aired on Sky, WOW, and RTL+.

The day kicked off with SSV Jeddeloh II vs 1. FC Heidenheim and SpVgg Greuther Fürth vs VfL Bochum at 1 PM. Afternoon fixtures included Eintracht Braunschweig facing Union Berlin, with new Union coach Mauro Lustrinelli viewing the match as a key test following a mixed pre-season. Other afternoon matches saw VfB Krieschow, a fifth-division team that expanded its stadium capacity to 4,000 seats, hosting 1. FSV Mainz 05 under former Union coach Urs Fischer. Evening games featured Fortuna Düsseldorf battling SC Freiburg and other notable matchups as Bundesliga teams like Union Berlin, Freiburg, and Borussia Mönchengladbach officially began their seasons.

In addition to the broad broadcast coverage, Bayer Leverkusen's first official match of the season brought attention to a new DFB rule on substitutions. During Leverkusen's 4-0 win over Wehen Wiesbaden, a substitution delay occurred when Patrik Schick took longer than the stipulated ten seconds to exit the field, causing Christian Kofane's entry to be postponed over a minute. Sports director Simon Rolfes defended the strict enforcement, emphasizing the players' need to adapt to the faster game flow for improved viewing. Conversely, head coach Carles Martínez expressed concern about the rule's practicality, highlighting that players occasionally need extra time and are not machines.

This new substitution regulation underscores the ongoing changes implemented by the DFB aimed at enhancing game rhythm, though reactions reveal a balance to be struck between enforcement and player welfare.

For fans following the games or new regulations, Sunday's DFB-Pokal fixtures offered both on-field drama and fresh developments impacting football's operational aspects in Germany.