The Berlin Football Association is committed to promoting fair play on the capital's soccer pitches with various offers and projects. The Committee for Fair Play & Volunteering is mainly responsible for this, which sees the promotion and support of fair play in the Berlin Football Association as its main task by organizing and rewarding fair play campaigns and taking decisive action against violence and racism on the sports fields.
The Fair Play Gesture of the Month is a competition to promote fair behavior at Berlin sports facilities, which the BFV has been carrying out together with the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, the Grohe company and the "Berliner Freunde" since the 2007/2008 season. Every month, a special gesture is selected from the fair play gestures submitted and awarded a prize.
In addition, the fair play gesture of the season is awarded annually.
How do I submit a gesture?
Entire clubs and teams as well as individuals can be nominated for the Fair Play Gesture of the Month. The following online form can be used to submit a nomination from a smartphone or PC.
Overview of fair play winners of the month
Winners of the 2023/2024 season
- Coach team D-Juniors SV Buchholz
- Mathias Geyer - SV Sparta Lichtenberg
- Paulina Hünning - B-juniors SC Charlottenburg
- Ulrich Wilbrandt - SF Johannisthal Ü32
- Kenny Siemers - C-juniors Friedenauer TSC
- Marlo Fischer - 2nd A-juniors Borussia Pankow
- Christian Czyzo - 2nd B-juniors BSC Marzahn
- Sven Haase - SC Union 06 II
Winners of the 2022/2023 season
- Aaron Yusuff & Thilo Adam - SV Empor Berlin / ZEIT Online
- Oskar Rigamonti - D-Juniors SC Berlin Amateurs
- Maik Khalaf - C-Juniors Victoria Friedrichshain
- Carlotta Fresse Antunes - D-Juniors SF Charlottenburg/Wilmersdorf
- Khaled Kayed - Physio Berlin Türkspor
Winners of the 2021/2022 season
- Osman Toprak - Coach SC Siemensstadt (March 2022)
- Mirko Neumann - Player SC Berlin Amateurs (February 2022)
- David Jahn, Ahmet Yavsan and Jan Hednrik Menzel - Referees (December 2021)
- Andreas Dulkies - Grün-Weiß Neukölln (November 2021)
- Youth division 1. FC Union Berlin (October 2021)
- Mona Ruby and Ritchie Böcker - Blau-Weiss Spandau (September 2021)
Winners of the 2019/2020 season
- Janne Spangenberg - B-Juniors Fortuna Biesdorf (December 2019)
- 2nd B-Juniors - BFC Eintracht Südring (November 2019)
- Men - SV Buchholz II (October 2019)
- Men - SC Union Südost (September 2019)
- Nico Ledge - Lichtenberg 47 (August 2019)
Winners of the 2018/2019 season
- Nico Weisshoff - FC Treptow (July 2019)
- Goalkeeper - VSG Rahnsdorf (June 2019)
- Jan-Niclas Dedert - FSV Spandauer Kickers I (May 2019)
- Martin Kluge - Coach 1st C-Youth Blau Gelb Berlin (April 2019)
- 2nd men - BSV Eintracht Mahlsdorf (March 2019)
- 1st B-Youth - FV Wannsee (February 2019)
- Danny Teichfischer - Nordberliner SC (January 2019)
- Deeptha Perera - BSC Eintracht Südring Ü40 (December 2018)
- Claus Robin - 1st FC Afrisko II (November 2018)
- 6th D-Youth - Hertha 03 Zehlendorf (October 2018)
- Dennis Sarnewski - TSV Mariendorf (September 2018)
- Mario Kendziorski - FC Internationale (August 2018)
Winners of the 2017/2018 season
- Thoralf Dominok - VfB Fortuna Biesdorf (July 2018)
- Niels Preuss - FC Spandau 06 (May 2018)
- Dennis Panke - Tennis Borussia Berlin II (April 2018)
- Konstantin Schröter - SV Empor Berlin (March 2018)
- Andreas Winter - Spandauer Kickers (January 2018)
- BFC Tur Abdin II (December 2018)
- Simon Stapelfeld - SpVgg Tiergarten (November 2017)
- Hamza Al Hazwani - FC Karame (October 2017)
Winners of the 2016/2017 season
- Julian Berndt - 1. FC Lübars II (April 2017)
- D-Juniors - SFC Stern 1900 (March 2017)
- 1st men - SG Blankenburg (January 2017)
- Axel Krüger - 1st B-Juniors BW Berlin (December 2016)
- 1st C-Youth - Rot-Weiß Hellersdorf (November 2016)
- Marcel Belling - Ü32 seniors SG Stern Kaulsdorf (October 2016)
- 1st D-Juniors - SV Blau Gelb Berlin (September 2016)
- C-Juniors - SC Charlottenburg (August 2016)
Winners of the 2015/2016 season
- 4th F-Juniors of NFC Rot-Weiß Berlin (July 2016)
- Tim Mittenmüller - Grünauer BC (April 2016)
- 1st C-Youth of SC Borsigwalde (March 2016)
- Manuel Gieseler - Lehrgemeinschaft Reinickendorf (February 2016)
- Jonas Michelbrink - C-Youth Hertha BSC (January 2016)
- Hendryk Lau - Altliga Blau-Weiß 90 (December 2015)
- Ahmad Ayas - FC Internationale III (November 2015)
- Sharif Youssef - C-Youth 1.FC Brandenburg 03 (October 2015)
- Michael Gräf - FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf II (September 2015)
Winners of the 2014/2015 season
- Tim Tschechne - 1st men of Lichtenrader BC (July 2015)
- Florian Böhm - 1st C-Youth of SV Askania Coepenick (June 2015)
- Tobias Heimbach - 2nd men's team of SCC Charlottenburg (May 2015)
- Kay Baumeister - 2nd C-Youth of the BSC Marzahn (April 2015)
- Uwe Wölfer - 1st chairman of SpVgg Tiergarten (March 2015)
- SpVgg Tiergarten (February 2015)
- Bartek Chudomiet - Futsal Club Berlin (January 2015)
- Talha Köse - 2nd F-Youth of 1. FC Lübars (November 2014)
- Yannick Rott - D6 juniors of FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin (October 2014)
Winners of the 2013/2014 season
- SV Blau-Gelb Berlin, women (March 2014)
- FC Internationale, 2nd E-Youth (February 2014)
- Sparta Lichtenberg, D-Youth (January 2014)
- SC Westend 01, women's 7s (November 2013)
- SG Empor Hohenschönhausen, men (October 2013)
- Lichtenberg 47, 2nd men (September 2013)
- VfB Fortuna Biesdorf, 1st men (August 2013)
Winners of the 2012/2013 season
- SV Karow 96 2nd D-Juniors (March 2013)
- FV Wannsee 1st C-juniors (February 2013)
- BFC Alemannia 1890 1st C-juniors (January 2013)
- SC Union Südost (December 2012)
Winners of the 2011/2012 season
- Hertha BSC Altliga (May 2012)
- FV Rot Weiß Hellersdorf 3rd men (March 2012)
- Frohnauer SC 1st B-Juniors (February 2012 )
- BSV Viktoria Friedrichshain 1st men (January 2012 )
- BAK 07 1st E -Juniors (December 2011)
- Lichterfelder FC 5th G-Juniors (November 2011)
- 1st FC Marzahn 1st G-Juniors (October 2011)
- BSV Eintracht Mahlsdorf Seniors (August 2011)
Winners of the 2010/2011 season
- SF Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 1st men (June 2011)
- BFC Türkiyemspor 1st D-Juniors (May 2011)
- KSF Anadolu-Umutspor 1st B-juniors (April 2011)
- SV BW Berolina Mitte 1st C-juniors (March 2011)
- Lichterfelder FC 1st D-juniors (December 2010)
Winners of the 2009/2010 season
- TSV Rudow 4th D-juniors (June 2010)
- SV Lichtenberg 47 2nd C-juniors (March 2010)
- FC Karlshorst, 1st C-juniors (February 2010)
- Hansa 07, 1st D-juniors (January 2010)
- Tennis Borussia, 1st E-juniors (December 2009)
- FC Hertha 03, 2nd E-juniors (November 2009)
- Reinickendorfer Füchse, 1st A-Juniors (October 2009)
- TSV Lichtenberg, 1st men (September 2009)
- Köpenicker SC, 2nd men (August 2009)
Winners of the 2008/2009 season
- Rot Weiß Hellersdorf, 1st D-Juniors (March 2009)
- BSC Rehberge, 1st F-Juniors (February 2009)
- SC Berliner Amateure, 1st men (January 2009)
- VSG Rahnsdorf, 1st C-juniors (December 2008)
- Berliner SC, 1st D-juniors (October 2008)
- SV Karow 96, 1st D-Juniors (September 2008)
Winners of the 2007/2008 season
- BSC Marzahn, 1st A-Juniors (April 2008)
- Borussia Friedrichsfelde, parents (March 2008)
- Rotation Prenzlauer Berg, Ü50 (February 2008)
- DJK Schwarz Weiß Neukölln, 1st D-juniors (January 2008)
- SV Norden-Nordwest 98, 2nd D-Juniors (December 2007)
- Grünauer BC, 1st men (November 2007)
- Hellersdorfer FC, 1st A-juniors (October 2007)
- Mariendorfer SV, 1st men (September 2007)
- BFV U20 women (August 2007)
Overview fair play gesture of the season
Winners of the 2023/2024 season
1st Ben Gütz (FV Wannsee)
Winners of the 2022/2023 season
1st Yousif Al-Janabi (Tennis Borussia Berlin / SV Nord-Wedding)
Winners of the year 2021
1st Mona Ruby & Ritche Böcker (FV Blau-Weiß Spandau)
Winners of the year 2019
1. Danny Teichfischer (Nordberliner SC)
2. Metin Aslanboga (SV Union-Südost) and Marcel Sydow (SV Buchholz II)
3. Janne Spangenberg (Fortuna Biesdorf)
Winners of the year 2018
1st Robin Claus (1.FC Afrisko II)
2nd Marcel Murche (Hertha 03 Zehlendorf)
3rd VfB Fortuna Biesdorf (1st men)
Winners of the year 2017
1st Nils Krüger (SV Süden 09)
2nd Hamza Al Hazwani (FC Karame)
3rd Simon Stapelfeld (SpVgg Tiergarten)
Winners of the year 2016
1st Jonas Michelbrink (Hertha BSC)
2nd 1st C-Juniors (Rot-Weiß Hellersdorf)
3rd Tim Mittermüller (Grünauer BC)
Winners of the year 2015
1st Jens Gnielka (TSV Rudow)
2nd Tim Tschechne (Lichtenrader BC25)
3rd Tobias Heimbach (SC Charlottenburg II)
Winners of the year 2014
1st place: Steven Sowada (SG Nordring)
2nd place: Talha Köse (1. FC Lübars)
3rd place: Timo Fleischfresser (Knallrot Wilmersdorf)
Winners of the year 2013
1st place: Andreas Feige (SC Westend)
2nd place: Marcel Kuhn (SC Staaken)
3rd place: Marcel Paris (Fortuna Biesdorf)
Solidarity gesture of the month
As match operations were temporarily suspended in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, no fair play gestures could be submitted. For this reason, the BFV had meanwhile decided to offer Berlin clubs the opportunity to register aid projects and solidarity campaigns for another award, the Solidarity Gesture.
Showing solidarity with one another is more important than ever in times of a pandemic. Elderly and sick people in particular, as well as people living in poverty, need the help of their fellow citizens in a situation like this. Many Berlin soccer clubs therefore launched relief campaigns during the coronavirus pandemic and offered support for population groups in the city that were particularly at risk from the coronavirus - in recognition of such commitment, the BFV awarded the "Solidarity Gesture of the Month" in March and April 2020.
The award winners
October 2023: DJK Schwarz-Weiß Neukölln
April 2020: FSV Fortuna Pankow
March 2020: Berliner Athletik Klub 07
BFV fair play logo
The Berlin Football Association's fair play logo is used for all fair play activities. In addition, the logo offers Berlin clubs and referees the opportunity to stand up for values such as tolerance, respect and peaceful coexistence on soccer pitches. Whether on the club website, on the shirt sleeve, in the stadium booklet or clubhouse, the fair play logo sends out a clear signal.
Download the fair play logo:
Fairplay folder vests
The FairPlay steward vests were issued to the clubs during the second half of the 2021/22 season as part of the FairPlay pacts in order to make the steward recognizable to the referees and other visitors to the pitch.
The home club must provide a sufficient number of stewards, who must be identified by armbands or order jackets and signal vests. For matches involving men's teams entitled to promotion, the home club must designate at least one contact person for the referee who is responsible for the safety of the referees up to 15 minutes before the start of the match and document this person by name in the DFBnet match report. The visiting club may also be obliged to provide stewards by association bodies.
This measure is intended to increase general safety at the matches concerned and the sense of security of the referees in Berlin in particular.
The order can be placed using the following online form: Order Fairplay vests.
FairPlayLiga
The FairPlayLiga is a child-friendly game concept for junior footballers. Since the 2014/2015 season, all state associations have been gradually converting the regular G and F youth game to the FairPlayLiga.
The hallmark of the FairPlayLiga are three simple rules that supplement the current soccer rules. They ensure that our young footballers focus on learning success and having fun with the game.
Experience instead of results
Children's enthusiasm for soccer comes primarily from enjoying the game. There is no place for pressure to perform, stress or aggression that spills over from the sidelines onto the children. The aim of the FairPlayLiga is to create the appropriate framework conditions and thus also convey to outsiders what really counts in children's soccer: the promotion of children and their enthusiasm for soccer.
1. referee rule
The children themselves are responsible for adhering to the rules, there is no referee. They take responsibility for their game and make their own decisions. If this is not possible, the coaches support the children in making decisions.
2nd coaching rule
The coaches accompany the game in a joint coaching zone. They see themselves as role models in a fair competition and only give the most necessary instructions.
3. fan rule
Fans and families do not stand on the sidelines, but in the fan zone about 15 meters away. They refrain from critical heckling. This allows the children to play undisturbed and develop their creativity.
Click here for the FairPlayLiga flyer.
You can watch the FairPlayLiga video here.
The rules of the FairPlayLeague are now also practiced in the new form of children's soccer.
DFB actions
The German Football Association, together with its regional associations, is committed to fair play. For this reason, campaigns are repeatedly launched to express the importance of the concept of fair play.
Fair Play Days
Since 2015, the German Football Association has organized the Fair Play Days once a year throughout Germany. World goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and star striker Robert Lewandowski led the way back then: during the match between their national teams in June 2015, they reminded their opponents once again of the principles of fair play with a handshake before the match.
Together with the national associations, the member clubs are now also encouraged to participate. The Fair Play Days have a different theme every year. In 2018, for example, parents in children's soccer were explicitly addressed. With the slogan "Stay fair, dear parents!", the DFB worked with experts from the regional associations to develop five tips for fair behavior on the sidelines. The slogans can be found on the fair play card (see below).
The most recent Fair Play Days in 2018 and 2019 comprised two matchday weekends in mid-September. The DFB and its regional associations called on all Bambini, F youth teams and some E youth teams to show their own parents or other spectators the fair play card before the game on one of the two match days on the occasion of the Fair Play Days.
"Fair is more"
"Together with its regional and state associations, the DFB would like to recognize exemplary fair play. That is why the German Football Association (DFB) and its regional and state associations have launched a fair play campaign under the motto "Fair is more". The aim is to give more weight to fair play in soccer. The participating associations need the help of all those interested in soccer. They are therefore calling on players, coaches, trainers and other club employees to use the campaign form to report examples of fair behavior." (Source: dfb.de)
Report fair play actions with a detailed description of the incident using the online form. All reports automatically take part in the "Fair Play Gesture of the Month" campaign and are forwarded to the DFB.
The main prize for the national winner is an invitation to an international match of the German national team with an interesting supporting program. The DFB also awards a prize to everyone who reports fair behavior.
Fairplay card
Soccer fascinates children and adults alike. The enthusiasm and light-heartedness of the children can be felt immediately on the sidelines of every game. This is where children learn for life. Fair play and respect - the fundamentals of soccer - are taught to children through play in the truest sense of the word. Adults, especially parents, play an important role as role models: With their behavior on the sports field, parents and coaches influence the children's behavior.
Following the introduction of the BFV's TIME OUT card in cooperation with the Berlin State Commission against Violence(download here), the Fair Play card was introduced together with the DFB as a further initiative against aggressive parents and spectators on the sidelines.
"Fair play, dear parents" is written on the front of the card. On the back, parents will then find five pointedly formulated tips on how to behave, from "Say thank you instead of bickering" to "Be a role model instead of being a fox". The campaign in Bambini, F- and E-youth soccer is part of the DFB's extensive commitment to a fair playing culture.
NO TO AGGRESSIVE PARENTS" campaign
With the video campaign "NO TO AGGRESSIVE PARENTS - Message for over-ambitious parents", the BFV is drawing attention to a current problem in Berlin youth soccer.
Part 1
Parents are indispensable in youth soccer. They make it possible for their children to play at the club, sometimes volunteer their time, for example as coaches, and take children to training or away games. Parents invest a lot of time in their daughters' and sons' hobby. At the same time, they are also their children's most loyal fans and naturally want their team to win. This often results in adults interfering in the game from the sidelines. Loud shouting or complaining is often primarily directed at their own child, sometimes also at the referee. The fact that this distracts and unsettles the players is far too often ignored or not recognized.
The Berlin Football Association is using a video campaign to draw attention to precisely this problem. In the past and also in the first match days of the still fresh season in Berlin youth soccer, there have been repeated disruptions caused by over-ambitious parents on the sidelines. Together with children from Berlin soccer, a video was created with a clear message: "Let's get kids playing soccer! No to aggressive parents!"
A message that parents should take to heart so that children don't lose the fun of soccer and can develop self-confidence on the pitch.
Part 2
Back in October last year, the Berlin Football Association released the video clip "NO TO AGGRESSIVE PARENTS", drawing attention to a current problem in youth soccer. The positive feedback to the campaign from the media and clubs from all over Germany showed that this is not just a Berlin problem, but a nationwide phenomenon.
Parents are still indispensable in youth soccer. They make it possible for their children to play at the club, sometimes volunteer their time, for example as coaches, and take children to training or away games. Parents invest a lot of time in their daughters' and sons' hobby. At the same time, they are also their children's most loyal fans and naturally want their team to win. As a result, the game is often disrupted by loud shouting and complaining from the sidelines. Players and referees are distracted and unsettled. Recently, a match between two F youth teams in the Berlin regional league was even abandoned because parents were constantly trying to manipulate the game by shouting and not keeping an appropriate distance from the pitch. There were even occasional insults and provocative comments directed at the young players. The BFV sports court fined the club to which the aggressive parents belonged.
The video campaign "NO TO AGGRESSIVE PARENTS" is now being expanded by the Berlin Football Association to include a clip. The second part of the campaign is called "Man, Papa" and once again gives the young players a voice.
Part 3
Even if over-ambitious and aggressive parents are out of place at their children's soccer matches, the BFV asks itself the question: What would youth soccer be without the boundless commitment of many parents? Whether it's the private shirt washing, the chauffeur service to the Sunday game or being the biggest fan on the sidelines. The time, passion and support that parents invest in the hobby of their very own little professionals is irreplaceable. The Berlin Football Association says "thank you" and speaks from the hearts of many children and young people, because youth soccer would not be possible without committed parents.