The presence of violence on Berlin's soccer pitches reflects a problem for society as a whole, which the Berlin Football Association takes very seriously. The association is pursuing several important goals:

Preventive anti-violence measures and the promotion of fair play are intended to minimize the number of violent incidents on Berlin's soccer pitches. This includes raising awareness among players, fans and all other people involved in the game for respectful interaction.
The consistent punishment of offenders through sports court measures is another important step. In addition, these individuals are prevented from reoffending by sports court requirements, such as participation in anti-violence courses.
In order to achieve a sustainable improvement, current issues are continuously discussed in the Fair Play & Volunteering Committee. In addition, accompanying support is provided for match operations through regular match observations and consultations with the clubs.

Achieving these goals requires close cooperation between the Berlin Football Association, the clubs, the players and the fans. Only through a joint commitment can a non-violent and fair atmosphere be created on the capital's soccer pitches in the long term.

Violence prevention guidelines

As part of the FUTURE BFV reform process, violence prevention guidelines have been created for presidents, club board members and coaches. The documents are intended to show in a compact and understandable way which forms of violence can occur in soccer and what responsibility clubs have in this regard. The guidelines are intended to strengthen the confidence of all those responsible, help to identify risks at an early stage and contribute to ensuring that our sports grounds remain safe places for everyone involved. They are key tools for a respectful and non-violent club environment.

Violence prevention guidelines for presidents and club board members

Violence prevention guide for coaches

Awareness concept

Awareness means creating awareness and responsibility for one another, regardless of age, gender, origin, religion, sexual orientation or physical condition. With its awareness concept, the BFV aims to create a space in which everyone feels safe, respected and supported.

Where is Lina?

As part of a pilot group, the BFV is one of the first DFB regional associations to develop and install an awareness concept. This was used for the first time at the finals of the COSY-WASCH State Cup for men and the Polytan Cup for women, as well as at the BFV Summer Festival, and is to be rolled out at other events in the future. The BFV is thus sending a clear signal against discrimination, violence and any form of cross-border behavior and is also taking on a pioneering role. It is a strong signal for more sensitivity, protection and participation in Berlin soccer - and an appeal to everyone to follow suit.

Here's how it works: a specially trained awareness team, dressed in purple vests, is deployed during the event and can be contacted by anyone on site. Visitors can contact the team discreetly and confidentially using the code word "Where is Lina?". Contact can also be made digitally and by telephone.

Prevention report on the occurrence of violence in Berlin amateur soccer

With the prevention report on the occurrence of violence in Berlin amateur soccer for the 2022/2023 season, the Berlin Football Association is publishing a comprehensive statistical analysis of the incidents of violence recorded by the sports courts in BFV match operations for the second time. A total of 2,557 incidents, almost 500 cases more than in the previous season, were analyzed, which were dealt with by the sports jurisdiction or the staff management of the technical committees of the Berlin Football Association during the period under review.

Download the complete prevention report as a PDF file

For a more compact summary of the report

The analysis for the 2021/2022 season can be viewed here for comparison.

Inventory of violence prevention

"Violence prevention in the Berlin Football Association - A stocktaking"

by CAMINO - Werkstatt für Fortbildung, Praxisbegleitung und Forschung im sozialen Bereich GGMBH,
Berlin 2020

Cooperation between BFV and Berlin public prosecutor's office

In March 2024, representatives of the public prosecutor's office and the BFV signed the cooperation agreement. Photo: Berlin public prosecutor's office.

Together against hate crime: BFV and public prosecutor's office agree on close cooperation (news from May 31, 2024)

In order to be able to react more effectively and emphatically to significant crimes motivated by prejudice or attributable to the phenomenon of "hate crime" in connection with soccer match operations, the Berlin public prosecutor's office and the Berlin Football Association concluded a cooperation agreement on May 30, 2024. The aim of this agreement is to ensure that incidents of this kind that come to the attention of the BFV are reported to the Berlin public prosecutor's office more quickly and almost without exception in future.

The cooperation agreement

Cases of unsportsmanlike conduct or discrimination will continue to be reported to the BFV by the referees as part of their match reports. In future, however, the contact point for violence and discrimination will not only review incidents with a view to forwarding them to the sports court, but also to the Berlin public prosecutor's office - including in cases that have occurred outside of match operations, such as "hate speech" on the internet.

The prompt and comprehensive transmission of the information required for criminal prosecution is not only intended to avoid a legal vacuum. The rapid involvement should also prevent the loss of evidence and ensure that the injured parties receive the necessary support in the prosecution.

The Berlin public prosecutor's office will also support and advise the BFV in its work in the area of "social responsibility" - especially in the context of violence prevention, child and youth protection, anti-Semitism and all forms of group-related misanthropy.

The cooperation agreement was signed by

Senior Public Prosecutor Jörg Raupach, Head of the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office: "I am delighted that we have succeeded in signing the cooperation agreement with the Berlin Football Association before the start of the European Championships. It serves as a signal that Berlin is not only a good host for the many international guests, but that together we are facing up to the important task of not tolerating but punishing behavior that is relevant under criminal law, especially in the area of hate crime. Only in this way can we succeed in bringing the unifying aspects of sport to the fore."

Senior Public Prosecutor Ines Karl, Head of the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office's Central Hate Crime Unit: "The current conflicts we are facing in the city have a direct impact on soccer - as in all other public areas. However, prejudice and discrimination must not be allowed to replace team spirit and sportsmanship. We can only counter this by working closely together. We have had very good experiences with close cooperation so far."

Bernd Schultz, President of the Berlin Football Association: "Insults, discrimination and unsportsmanlike conduct have no place in soccer. They are in no way compatible with the core values of our sport, fair play and respect. I am very pleased that, together with the public prosecutor's office, we can make a statement against hate crime in Berlin soccer."

Jan Schlüschen-Hesterberg, Vice President Legal Affairs of the Berlin Football Association: "In our efforts to curb hate and discrimination in Berlin soccer, the consistent sanctioning of perpetrators is an elementary component alongside comprehensive prevention work. Close cooperation with the public prosecutor's office will not only make it possible to take legal action against such misconduct in the future, but will also facilitate the initiation of criminal prosecution."

About the terms:

Hate crime offenses are those that are directed against a person or a group of people because of their ascribed political stance, attitude or commitment or because of their nationality, ethnicity, skin color, religious affiliation, world view, social status, mental or physical disability or impairment, sexual orientation or gender identity or because of their external appearance. This includes cases in which the act is directed against an institution or object in this context.

On the part of the BFV, its rules of the game as well as its legal and procedural regulations are decisive:

Accordingly, anyone who behaves in a politically, extremist, obscenely offensive or provocatively insulting manner is actingin an unsportsmanlike manner.

Anyone who publicly violates the human dignity of another person or group of persons through derogatory, discriminatory or denigrating statements or actions with regard to skin color, language, religion, origin, gender or sexual orientation, age or disability or behaves in any other way in a racist and/or inhumane manner is acting in adiscriminatory manner.

Victim protection

In October 2024, the cooperation between the BFV and WEISSER RING was extended. Photo: WEISSER RING.

Cooperation agreement between BFV and WEISSEM RING

The BFV and WEISSE RING have been working together for several years. A cooperation agreement was signed at the 2017 New Year's reception.

WEISSE RING is a non-profit organization that supports victims of crime and prevents criminal acts. It offers quick and direct help to victims of crime in Germany, regardless of gender, age, religion, nationality or political persuasion. More than 3,000 volunteer victim helpers in 420 branch offices throughout Germany support the WEISSEN RING.

The special thing about WEISSER RING is that it starts with the victim to give them courage and new hope. The WEISSER RING is represented on the BFV Committee for Fair Play & Volunteering by Christine Burck.

Further information on WEISSER RING Berlin can be found here: WEISSER RING.

If you have any questions, please contact Christine Burck(praevention@spam.weisser-ring-berlin.de).

Campaign "Language is violence - show respect!"

The Berlin Football Association not only wants to draw attention to the brutal use of language, but also to call on its clubs to give verbal and communicative violence just as little space on and off the soccer pitches as physical violence. As part of this campaign, the Berlin Football Association has formulated recommendations for action for its clubs to help raise awareness and take action.

Recommendations for action for clubs

Flyer "Sprachfoul

Postcard "Show respect!"

Anyone who has already experienced such situations and would like to report them to the Berlin Football Association can report them to the BFV (also anonymously).

Part 1 - Sexist violence

In the past, the Berlin Football Association has received an increasing number of reports of sexist and discriminatory verbal attacks against women and girls. The first part of the video campaign presents the experiences of women involved in soccer.

"Sexist or discriminatory remarks, but also expressions such as 'slut' or 'hooker' must not be ignored or even trivialized. Anyone who hears such insults should not listen away, but should confront the person immediately with their statements. The last incident, a threat of violence against a player in the junior section, prompted us to launch this campaign," says Christine Lehmann, deputy chairwoman of the Women's and Girls' Football Committee.

Part 2 - Violence against referees

The second part of the BFV video campaign focuses on referees. Unfortunately, they are often confronted with hostility, insults or discriminatory remarks on the pitch. In order to raise awareness of this problem, the new campaign video focuses on the mutual interaction between players and referees.

Part 3 - Homophobia and trans*hostility

The third part of the BFV video campaign focuses on homophobic and trans*-hostile comments on soccer pitches and aims to highlight the importance of fair and inclusive language.

"Playing soccer - only together"

Both coaches and referees have special responsibilities around a match. In order to fulfill all of their responsibilities, it is necessary for both sides to work together. However, this need for cooperation and exchange between the two roles often leads to tensions, misunderstandings or supposedly confirmed prejudices against the other, which in turn lead to corresponding actions before, during and after the game. Everything that needs to be avoided in the exchange and cooperation between the two roles has been made clear often enough. The video available here is intended to show a positive example of communication and cooperation between the roles of coach and referee. The video can be used, for example, at coaches' meetings in the club or joint events between coaches and referees in the club to discuss different perspectives, requirements and expectations of each other. To support this, two reflection guides are also provided (each viewed from the perspective of the coaches and referees), which can also be used for the above-mentioned purpose.

Referee reflection guide

Reflection guide for coaches