Violence in amateur football: decline motivates further prevention!

Violence in amateur football: decline motivates further prevention!

Amateur football in Germany is showing positive developments in dealing with violence and discrimination. According to that rbb24 The German Football Association (DFB) and several regional associations, including the Berlin Football Association (BFV), recorded a decline in canceled games in organized football. In the 2024/25 season there were 829 “game abandonments due to violence or discrimination”, which corresponds to a decrease of nine percent compared to the previous year. This is the lowest level since the Corona pandemic in 2021.

The statistics show that of around 1.3 million games, only 0.06 percent were canceled and 0.43 percent had reported incidents. Despite these positive figures, DFB Vice President Ronny Zimmermann expresses the need to continue to promote respectful treatment in sport. The BFV's refereeing and violence prevention officer, Theresa Hoffmann, is also observing a decline in incidents, but notes that there is a risk that minor riots can develop into more serious incidents.

Violence prevention measures

The BFV successfully implements measures to de-escalate conflicts. As part of the “Stop Concept”, referees can interrupt the game to calm dangerous situations. This was used over 5,000 times last season. The introduction of the captain's rule, which only allows the team captain to communicate with the referee, also helps to improve behavior.

Criminologist Thaya Vester takes a similar view, pointing out the need for improvements in data collection. She criticizes the DFB statistics as possibly distorted, as only around 90 percent of the games are documented electronically. She calls for uniform rules and more effort to prevent violence in order to preserve the integrity of the competition.

Looking into the future

The commitment of the DFB and the regional associations to preventing violence is already showing initial success: the number of violent incidents in amateur football fell to 3,494, which corresponds to a decrease of six percent. There has also been a notable decrease of five percent in the number of victims of racism and discrimination incidents. The number of accused has also fallen to 6,535.

Reviewing and improving policies is important not only for clubs, but also for society as a whole. Parents and family members play an important role in the behavior of young players to promote respectful gaming behavior. The climate of tolerance and fairness that has been created is a common goal for everyone involved in amateur football. Beyond the challenges, vigilance regarding violence and discrimination in sport remains high.

The DFB is planning additional qualification offers for clubs and officials in order to prevent an increase in incidents. Only by acting together can amateur football ensure a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved. Further information on the developments can be found on the Sports show and the Association office.