At the turn of the year, the German Football Association (DFB) launched the new amateur soccer master plan - the central instrument for implementing the amateur soccer strategy for the future.
The new implementation period covers the years 2026 to 2029 and follows on seamlessly from the previous master plans 2013-2016, 2017-2019 and 2020-2025. Implementation is binding for all 21 national associations in accordance with the official vote of the DFB Federal Assembly 2025 and the decision of the DFB Executive Committee in December 2025.The regional associations have received financial support from the DFB and DFL since 2013.
The master plan bundles measures in four fields of action: Club Development, Match Operations & Football Offerings, Qualification and Association Development.
Peter Frymuth, DFB Vice President Match Operations and Football Development, said: "The DFB supports and promotes amateur soccer together with the regional and state associations. The master plan is the central instrument with which the overarching goal of maintaining the globally unique nationwide network of soccer clubs in Germany is to be supported. The fact that the DFL is supporting the master plan as part of the basic agreement is proof of the unity of German soccer."
The master plan was drawn up and designed by the "Development of Amateur Football" commission headed by Peter Frymuth, with the close involvement of association employees and on the basis of the results of the regular amateur soccer congresses and survey results from the DFB Amateur Football Barometer.
Frymuth: "Masterplan ist zentrales Instrument"
Der Masterplan bündelt Maßnahmen in vier Handlungsfeldern: Vereinsentwicklung, Spielbetrieb & Fußballangebote, Qualifizierung sowie Verbandsentwicklung.
Peter Frymuth, DFB-Vizepräsident Spielbetrieb und Fußballentwicklung, sagt: „Der DFB unterstützt und fördert gemeinsam mit den Regional- und Landesverbänden den Amateurfußball. Dabei ist der Masterplan das zentrale Instrument, mit dem das übergeordnete Ziel, das weltweit einzigartige flächendeckende Netz von Fußballvereinen in Deutschland zu erhalten, unterstützt werden soll. Dass die DFL im Rahmen des Grundlagenvertrages den Masterplan unterstützt, ist ein Beleg für die Einheit des deutschen Fußballs.“
Die Erarbeitung und Ausgestaltung des Masterplans erfolgte durch die von Peter Frymuth geleitete Kommission „Entwicklung Amateurfußball“ und unter enger Einbindung von Verbandsmitarbeiter*innen sowie auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse der regelmäßig stattfindenden Amateurfußball-Kongresse und Umfrageergebnissen aus dem DFB-Amateurfußball-Barometer.
Compulsory and optional measures
With a combination of mandatory and optional measures, the master plan creates uniform quality standards nationwide, but at the same time offers the state associations the opportunity to set their own priorities.New ideas and approaches can be tested through supplementary pilot projects at association level and expanded if successful.
"For us as the Berlin Football Association, the master plan has been a central guideline since 2013 for sustainably strengthening the framework conditions for amateur soccer in our city," explains BFV President Bernd Schultz. "It gives us important impetus to specifically promote commitment in our clubs, further develop existing offers and thus make Berlin soccer fit for the future. With the TEAM BERLIN strategy, we will translate the framework provided by the new master plan with its four fields of action into measures specific to Berlin. We look forward to implementing the plan together with our clubs."
The DFB points gamethe nationwide activation campaign for clubs, supports the implementation of the master plan by mobilizing clubs, creating public visibility and promoting commitment to amateur soccer.
Further information on the Amateur Football Master Plan 2026-2029, including an overview of all measures, can be foundhere and on DFB.de.
