The B. graminis glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT) and histone 3 (H3) genes and the barley GAPDH, ubiquitin (UBI) and α‐tubulin 2B (TUBA2B) genes were optimal normalization controls for qPCR during the infection cycle. The gene discussed is GAPDH; the disease is infection.