The German Football Association, the DFB, changed the game for its youngest players. In the youngest age groups there are no more championship tables. Children play in small teams at festivals. The new formats were first tested in a pilot phase over two years. In January 2022 the DFB’s youth assembly confirmed the recommendation of its youth committee, and on 11 March 2022 the association’s general assembly adopted it. In September 2023 Hans-Joachim Watzke, a vice-president of the DFB, called the plans unfassbar, unbelievable, and announced a “reform of the reform”. DFB officials defended the decision. Since the 2024/25 season, the new rules have been binding throughout Germany.