At its meeting on June 22, 2026, the Advisory Board of the Berlin Soccer Association (BFV) voted on proposals regarding various BFV regulations. The approved amendments will take effect on July 1, 2026, and will therefore apply to the upcoming 2026–2027 season. We explain selected Advisory Board resolutions in more detail below.
A comprehensive overview of all resolutions can also be found here: Overview of All Advisory Board Resolutions from June 22
Relaxation of the Licensing Requirement for the C and D Junior State League
The Advisory Board accepted a motion from the BFV Executive Committee and thus approved a relaxation of the licensing requirements for the C and D junior state leagues. Starting July 1, 2026, coaches in these leagues will no longer be required to hold a C license. In the C-Junior State League, the DFB Basic Coach certification or the Youth Soccer Certificate will then suffice. For D-Juniors, the DFB Basic Coach certification or the Children’s Soccer Certificate will be recognized.
Match Schedules for the Over-50 and Over-60 Divisions Even During School Vacations
At the request of the Southwest Regional Conference, the Advisory Board has decided that, starting with the 2026–2027 season, match schedules for the Over-50 and Over-60 divisions may also be held during the Berlin state school vacation periods.
Players’ Participation in Multiple Teams of the Same Club in the Same Cup Competition
A motion submitted by SFC Stern 1900 regarding the rules for player participation in BFV cup competitions was approved. Starting July 1, 2026, a player may only compete for one team during the current cup season, even if their own club is represented by multiple teams in the same competition. This applies regardless of the cup round or whether a team has been eliminated. A player may only play for different teams within the same club if they are competing in a different tournament (e.g., 7-a-side and 11-a-side) or a different age group.
Separate Tally of Yellow Cards in Cup and League Play
Starting with the 2026/2027 season, yellow cards will once again be tallied separately for league and cup matches. A yellow-card suspension is imposed in the league after five cautions and in the cup after three cautions. Card tallies can thus once again be tracked via DFBnet; this had not been possible automatically under the previously applicable cross-competition tallying method. The Advisory Board is thereby acting on a motion by the Competition Committee to reverse the rule change adopted at the 2021 Association Day.
Tightening of the Rule on Player Photos
At the request of the BFV Executive Committee, the Advisory Board has decided to clarify the regulation regarding proof of eligibility through current player photos. In the 2026/2027 season, the requirement to regularly update the photos on DFBnet will remain in effect. However, if updates are not made by the deadline, clubs can no longer be sanctioned with a forfeit—instead, an administrative fine of 25 euros per photo will be imposed (the amount was reduced from 75 to 25 euros via an amendment during the Advisory Board meeting). Starting July 1, 2026, a match penalty will only be imposed in cases where a photo is completely missing or the player cannot be recognized, making it impossible to verify their identity. A working group was also established to define, by the 2027–2028 season, how player photos will be verified in the future.
Non-compliance with transfer windows in the Berlin League for A, B, and C Juniors
The Advisory Board has approved a motion from the BFV Youth Committee that specifies a regulation for the Berlin League for A, B, and C Juniors. Starting with the 2026/2027 season, exceeding the maximum number of permitted transfer windows in these divisions will automatically result in a forfeit.
Increased Relegation in Youth Divisions Due to Smaller Leagues
The Advisory Board has approved the reduction in the size of divisions in several youth leagues for the 2027/2028 season. Consequently, there will be an increase in relegations during the 2026/2027 season. This decision stems from a resolution passed by the Youth Advisory Board in October 2025, which calls for adjusting the youth competition schedule so that, as far as possible, no competitive matches take place on weekdays.
Further details can be found in the proposal document .
