Herr Dittl, Sie leiten das Sportgericht des Hessischen Fußball-Verbandes (HFV). In welchen Fällen werden Sie tätig?
Stephan Dittl: We at the HFV Sports Court are responsible for game abandonments in connection with violence against referees as well as for racism and discrimination cases Regional sports courts and the sports courts of the association leagues are handed over to these first-instance sports courts. Classic cases such as red cards or incorrectly used players, on the other hand, deal with serious cases with a certain degree of public awareness.
Dittl: For example, we recently had a case involving an anti-Semitic heckle that was directed at a teammate of Jewish faith. This was an incident that we take very seriously. We want to condemn this accordingly when we find out about it.
Dittl: During the negotiation it turned out that a friendly match between the clubs’ two e-youth teams was actually planned, but one of the clubs blocked it because of the ongoing proceedings. The incident happened in the A youth team. When the clubs realized that this was not a solution, together we were able to find a way to resolve the matter amicably. Fortunately, the club whose players were criticized was quickly prepared to accept the other club’s credible apology. We offered to stop the proceedings if both of them organized a day of action against racism and discrimination with several friendly games between the youth teams against each other. The example shows that such a procedure can definitely help prevent such incidents and strengthen mutual understanding. We can also see that many clubs now take such cases very seriously and deal with them much more professionally than before – I would like to expressly praise that at this point.
What is the strongest sanction you could impose? Your sharpest legal sword?
Dittl: As far as the individual player is concerned, that is a ban of five years. The most difficult thing that affects clubs is a ban on playing for six months. We once almost exhausted this in Hesse – we imposed a gaming ban for a good five months. Theoretically, there is also the possibility of completely excluding a club from our association. For the club, this would basically mean that it would no longer be able to take part in games. That would really be the last resort.
Mr. Poth, you are vice president of the HFV and are responsible for the legal area. How do you look at things?
Axel Poth: A lot really has to happen for a club to be banned for five months. Because with this we punish the entire club and not just individual players. This must be well considered and appropriate. But if it is necessary, we will of course take the step. For example, if a player physically attacks a referee, that would equate to a ban of 12 to 36 games; in severe cases up to five years.
This text comes from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
Which club received the five-month ban?
Dittl: I don’t want to mention the name of the club again here, especially since it was very cooperative. There was reporting back then (it was about Türkiyemspor Breuberg, the FAZ reported; editor’s note). As an association, we can also mitigate penalties if affected clubs or players take part in measures such as anti-violence training or conflict resolution training. In this case, a regular six-month ban would have meant that the club would no longer be able to play a game this season. We then allowed the club to play the last two games on the condition that they took part in appropriate training – which they did.
What is your general view of violence in amateur football?
Poth: The number of violent incidents at amateur football games in Hesse is actually declining, which we are very happy about thanks to our measures. In the 2023/24 season, 88 of a total of 122,628 games had to be canceled due to violence. In the 2024/25 season there were 63 of 119,648 games – a decrease of around a quarter. In addition, there were incidents of discrimination during 552 games in the 2024/25 season; In 2023/24 there were 44 more.
… so there are no longer any problems in this regard in Hesse?
Poth: Unfortunately we cannot confirm that either. What scares us is that the quality of cases is increasing. While a few years ago you might have heard simple insults, today we have incidents in which players lying on the ground are kicked in the head or people are injured after the game. In addition, today we can see that referees who enforce norms in games, as well as people enforcing norms in general, be they police officers or firefighters, are attacked more often. In any case, this is worrying.
Dittl: I find the word “quality” difficult at this point. I would perhaps speak more about the severity of the cases. I really don’t want to describe what ends up on my desk as quality.
What are the most serious incidents you have encountered so far during your time in office?
Dittl: Violence against referees is particularly problematic for us. The most serious cases are when referees are threatened or attacked. We have seen referees injured or persecuted after making decisions. Player fights on the pitch are also part of this, although the accounts of those involved often contradict each other. One incident was particularly serious in which players stormed into the stands and even attacked spectators.
Poth: There are also cases involving significant discrimination. And we’re not talking about someone saying “you stupid cow” or “you idiot,” but we’re talking about serious racist insults. One case actually involved a death threat against a referee – but it then turned out that it wasn’t meant seriously, which the referees also recognized. But of course this is still a shock for those affected. We actually just had to hand over three cases of significant discrimination to the public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt. These are cases that have no place on the football field.
What are you doing about it?
Poth: On April 8th, we concluded a far-reaching cooperation agreement with the Hessian Justice Minister Christian Heinz (CDU) and the Public Prosecutor General’s Office in Frankfurt, which makes it possible to hand over serious cases to the local public prosecutor’s offices. Unlike most federal states, our regulations not only cover violence against referees, but also serious cases of discrimination or racism that we submit. Our agreement is therefore unique in Germany. We hope that when the public prosecutor sends a message, everyone will understand that football is not a legal vacuum. In the event of an incident in Kassel, we are currently checking the file and handing it over to the local public prosecutor’s office, which will then decide on criminal proceedings or a penalty order.
How do you actually experience men’s football compared to women’s football?
Poth: What do you think?
It’s been a while since my time in the women’s district league, but I can hardly imagine what you just described happening there.
Dittl: Of the 31 cases dealt with by the HFV sports court last season, only one concerned women’s football and the accused was male. I’m not saying that women don’t play a role, but in practice they are usually not the main participants. However, we are positively observing that more and more women are taking on roles in men’s football and taking part in negotiations. However, the accused people are almost exclusively male.
If there is a trial: Who will you meet in court?
Dittl: In general, all the negotiations we have had so far have been peaceful. In the end, of course, those involved are never all satisfied or in agreement with our judgments. Nevertheless, there are always people who say: Okay, that was fine, I was completely rightly convicted and the punishment is also appropriate. There are a few candidates who we also know because they sit before various sports courts from time to time. However, usually not here, because only the severe cases end up here.
What kind of guys are they who always end up in front of the sports court?
Dittl: Well, there are certainly players – I know this from my own playing days – who regularly get red cards because they don’t control themselves on the pitch: they complain to the referee, insult opponents or get carried away with violence. However, the truly extreme cases are rare. Some sufferers are naturally loud and impulsive, others are actually quiet and then suddenly get out of control. This often happens after a provocation by the opponent, and from a human perspective this is often even understandable, but the subsequent behavior is often much worse and of course unacceptable.
And would you say: Are the negotiations achieving anything?
Dittl: In general, I have the impression that the negotiations are helping to bring peace and help the clubs understand each other better again. We see it as our job not only to punish – that is of course part of it – but also to ensure that those involved can look each other in the eye again. Ultimately, it’s about the clubs being able to play football against each other again.
Poth: Every autumn, when the days become shorter and darker, we see a significant increase in incidents. From the end of October, or at the latest in November, many people seem to think that the football field is a legal vacuum – and then things start crashing more often. There are no local differences; Cases of significant violence occur in metropolitan areas such as Frankfurt or Offenbach as well as in Fulda or Lauterbach-Hünfeld. The problem therefore exists throughout Hesse. Even if the number of cases is decreasing as shown, each case is one case too many.
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