With 70 percent of players inked up, it would be shocking to watch NBA basketball without tattoos.

While commissioner David Stern and owners can only dream about such a scenario, one German soccer club is working to make it a reality.

The Daily Mail reports Werder Bremen, a German club has officially forbid its players from getting tattoos.

The ban is not for the appearance of the art work. They claim it's purely for the health of its athletes.

Werder Bremen management claims its concerned about the medical risks, including infection, that could hurt the performance on the pitch.

A rival of Werder Bremen lost one of its players to a tattoo related injury last season.

Tattoo injuries have happened in all sports, including Major League Baseball. Jeff Juden, a journeyman pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies had his first start of the 1994 season pushed back after his new tattoo became infected.

The report also says more than 25 percent of people under 30 are getting tattoos.

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