Bundesliga Fair Play Rankings: Who’s On Santa’s Nice List?

As Christmas approaches, children are told that those who misbehave won’t find gifts under the tree. Instead, they’ll receive a rod. What if Santa evaluated the Bundesliga players’ conduct on the field when determining who gets what? Let’s analyze the Fair Play ranking following Matchday 15.

Two Teams with Nearly Impeccable Records

This season, there are two teams that have managed to avoid any red cards, much to their delight as they expect a generous Christmas. Frankfurt and Leipzig stand out, having received 23 and 24 yellow cards, respectively, while maintaining clean disciplinary records.

According to the Fair Play rankings from ‘transfermarkt.de,’ clubs like Mönchengladbach, SC Freiburg, and TSG Hoffenheim are also in a decent position to receive gifts, albeit slightly fewer than Frankfurt and Leipzig. Gladbach has 20 yellow cards and just one red card (a direct one). Freiburg recorded 19 yellow cards, including one yellow-red, alongside another red card. Hoffenheim has yet to see a red card but has accumulated 28 yellow cards overall.

Just behind VfL Wolfsburg in the ranks are Heidenheim and Hamburg, with both clubs having received one red card each, although Heidenheim has one additional yellow card. Köln follows closely, with similar statistics, but an extra yellow card places them in seventh.

Bayern Struggling in the Fair Play Rankings

Contrasting their long-standing position in the Bundesliga standings, Bayern Munich finds itself surprisingly low in the Fair Play ranking. While they have not seen any red cards this season, their tally of 33 yellow cards ranks them fourth highest in the league, landing them in an unfamiliar tenth place in Fair Play.

📸 KARL-JOSEF HILDENBRAND – AFP or licensors

Following Bayern, VfB Stuttgart stands out with 29 yellow cards and one red. Borussia Dortmund shows that achieving success often involves tenacity, as they sit in eleventh place with two red cards, while Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburger SV follow suit. The latter has registered the highest number of yellow-red cards in the league at four.

Union Berlin currently holds the last safe position in the Fair Play standings, ranking 15th.

The Undisciplined Trio

Three clubs run the risk of receiving the rod this holiday season. Despite not having received any straight red cards, Werder Bremen has accumulated four yellow-red cards and a total of 34 yellow cards. In 17th place is FC Augsburg, which has the highest cautions in the league, totaling 42 yellow cards and one yellow-red.

Unsurprisingly, the club sitting at the bottom of the Bundesliga standings is also last in the Fair Play rankings, maintaining a consistent position at the tail end.

📸 Alex Grimm – 2025 Getty Images

Mainz 05, the league’s bottom team, has also fared poorly in this regard, racking up 33 yellow cards, one yellow-red card, and an alarming four straight red cards. Interestingly, the player with the worst disciplinary record isn’t who you might expect; Dominik Kohr ranks second in this regard. His teammate Paul Nebel leads the unfairness table with two straight red cards.

Notably, most straight red cards have been handed out to midfielders and defenders. In total, Bundesliga referees have issued 526 cards this season, averaging 1.22 cards per player.

Are you surprised by your club’s standing in the Fair Play rankings? Share your thoughts in the comments.