The German soccer league (DFL) said Monday it had launched a pilot project for referees to explain decisions to fans via loudspeakers in the stadium and on television during games.

Nine clubs from the top two tiers of German soccer have agreed to take part in the trial, with the first tests to take place during this weekend's fixtures.

The aim of the announcements was to "increase the transparency of referee decisions and ensure greater understanding among the fans," DFL head of match operations Ansgar Schwenken said in a statement.