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The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected
league system A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport. They are often called pyramids, due to their tendency to split into an increasing number of regional divisions further down the system. League systems of some sort are used in many sports in ...
for association football in Germany that in the 2016–17
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
consisted of 2,235 leagues in up to 13 levels having 31,645 teams, in which all divisions are bound together by the principle of
promotion and relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
. The top three
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
levels contain one division each. Below this, the
semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...
and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. Therefore, in theory, it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become
German football champions The German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of t ...
one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.


Structure


Germany

The ''German football league system'' is held under the jurisdiction of the nationwide
German Football Association The German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund ; DFB ) is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB has jurisdiction for the German football league system and is in charge of t ...
and its professional body
German Football League The German Football League (GFL) is an American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. In 1999, the league switched its name from ''Ameri ...
, along with its five regional associations and their 21 state associations. On top of the system sit the level 1
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
and the level two 2. Bundesliga, both organized by the professional German Football League. The two top flights then are followed by the level three 3. Liga, the lowest full professional division in Germany, held by the German Football Association itself. The professional level four
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
is divided into 5 regional divisions, these typically organised by one or two of the five regional associations of the German Football association, these being the
Northern German Football Association The Northern German Football Association (german: Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband; ''NFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers the four German states ...
, the
Northeastern German Football Association The Northeastern German Football Association (german: Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband), the ''NOFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg ...
, the
Western German Football Association The Western German Football Association (german: Westdeutscher Fußballverband; ''WDFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers German state of North Rh ...
, the
Southwestern Regional Football Association The Regional Football Association South West (german: Fussball-Regional-Verband Südwest), the ''FRVS'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saar ...
and the
Southern German Football Association The Southern German Football Association (german: Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband), the ''SFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. ...
. For Bavaria, the
Bavarian Football Association The Bavarian Football Association (german: Bayerischer Fussball-Verband), the ''BFV'', is one of 21 regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Bavaria.Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
are crowned
German football champions The German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of t ...
. The bottom two Bundesliga teams are relegated to 2. Bundesliga, whereas the champion and runner-up of 2. Bundesliga are promoted to the top flight. Additionally, the third-last ranked team of Bundesliga and the third-best ranked team of 2. Bundesliga play a promotion/relegation playoff for the final spot in the next Bundesliga edition. The bottom two 2. Bundesliga teams are relegated to 3. Liga, whereas the champion and runner-up of 3. Liga are promoted to the second flight. Additionally, the third-last ranked team of 2. Bundesliga and the third-best ranked team of 3. Liga play a promotion/relegation playoff for the final spot in the next 2. Bundesliga edition. The bottom four teams of 3. Liga are relegated to
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
.


Regional association league systems

Whereas the professional first three levels of the ''German football league system'' each are single division only and are organised by nationwide governing bodies, the semi-professional level four
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
comprises five independent divisions, each run by different regional and/or state associations. Three regional bodies, being the
Northern German Football Association The Northern German Football Association (german: Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband; ''NFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers the four German states ...
, the
North East German Football Association The Northeastern German Football Association (german: Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband), the ''NOFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg ...
and the
Western German Football Association The Western German Football Association (german: Westdeutscher Fußballverband; ''WDFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers German state of North Rh ...
, each run a division under their sole jurisdiction, these being the corresponding
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
, the
Regionalliga Nordost The Regionalliga Nordost is the fourth tier of German football in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia. These comprise the states of former East Germany as well as West Berlin. It i ...
and the
Regionalliga West The Regionalliga West is a German semi-professional football division administered by the Western German Football Association based in Duisburg. It is one of the five German regional football associations. Being the single flight of the Western ...
. The two regional bodies
Southwestern Regional Football Association The Regional Football Association South West (german: Fussball-Regional-Verband Südwest), the ''FRVS'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saar ...
and
Southern German Football Association The Southern German Football Association (german: Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband), the ''SFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. ...
share the jurisdiction on the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
. Finally, the
Bavarian Football Association The Bavarian Football Association (german: Bayerischer Fussball-Verband), the ''BFV'', is one of 21 regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Bavaria.Regionalliga Bayern The Regionalliga Bayern, ( en, Regional league Bavaria), is the highest association football league in the state of Bavaria (german: Bayern) and the Bavarian football league system. It is one of five Regionalligas in German football, the fourth tie ...
, by far the largest single state football association in Germany. As an exception to the regular promotion rules within the German league system, not all champions of each Regionalliga division are granted automatic promotion. Instead only the Regionalliga West and Southwest each provide a fixed direct promotion. Another direct promotion place is assigned according to a rotation principle among the Regionalliga Nord, Nordost, and Bayern champions. The representatives from the remaining two Regionalligen determine the fourth promoted club in two-legged playoffs. File:Karte-Norddeutscher-Fußball-Verband.png,
Northern German Football Association The Northern German Football Association (german: Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband; ''NFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers the four German states ...
File:Karte-Nordostdeutscher-Fußball-Verband.png,
Northeastern German Football Association The Northeastern German Football Association (german: Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband), the ''NOFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg ...
File:Karte-Westdeutscher-Fußball-Verband.png,
Western German Football Association The Western German Football Association (german: Westdeutscher Fußballverband; ''WDFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers German state of North Rh ...
File:Karte-Südwestdeutscher-Fußball-Verband.png,
Southwestern Regional Football Association The Regional Football Association South West (german: Fussball-Regional-Verband Südwest), the ''FRVS'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saar ...
File:Karte-Süddeutscher-Fußball-Verband.png,
Southern German Football Association The Southern German Football Association (german: Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband), the ''SFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. ...


Northern Germany

The
Northern German Football Association The Northern German Football Association (german: Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband; ''NFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers the four German states ...
league system is the regional association league system in the states of
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
,
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
,
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
and
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
and starts at level four of the German league system with the
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
on top. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the winners of the four other
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
divisions and the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
runner-up for three promotions to the 3. Liga. Below the regional association's league system, the four state association league systems of the
Bremen Football Association The Bremen Football Association (german: Bremer Fussball-Verband), the ''BFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Bremen.Hamburg Football Association The Hamburg Football Association (german: Hamburger Fußball-Verband), the ''HFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Hamburg and some parts of southern Schleswig-Holstein.
, the
Lower Saxony Football Association The Lower Saxony Football Association (german: Niedersächsischer Fussball-Verband), the ''NFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Lower Saxony.
and the
Schleswig-Holstein Football Association The Schleswig-Holstein Football Association (german: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Fussball-Verband), the ''SHFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers most parts of the state of Schleswig-Holste ...
work as feeders to the Regionalliga.


Northeastern Germany

The
Northeastern German Football Association The Northeastern German Football Association (german: Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband), the ''NOFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg ...
league system is the regional association league system in the states of
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
,
Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
,
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...
,
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
,
Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...
and
Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
and starts at level four of the German league system with the
Regionalliga Nordost The Regionalliga Nordost is the fourth tier of German football in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia. These comprise the states of former East Germany as well as West Berlin. It i ...
on top. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the winners of the four other
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
divisions and the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
runner-up for three promotions to the 3. Liga. Below the regional association's league system, the six state association league systems of the
Berlin Football Association The Berlin Football Association (german: Berliner Fussball-Verband, BFV) is the umbrella organization of football clubs in the German capital Berlin. The BFV was founded in 1897 and has its headquarters in Berlin. President of the BFV is Bernd Sch ...
, the
Brandenburg State Football Association The Brandenburg Football Association (german: Fußball-Landesverband Brandenburg, FLB), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Brandenburg and covers the football districts of Lower Lusatia, Prignitz/Ruppin, Uckermar ...
, the
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Football Association The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Football Association (german: Landesfußballverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, LFVMV), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and covers the football distr ...
, the
Saxony Football Association The Saxony Football Association (german: Sächsischer Fußball-Verband, SFV), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Saxony and covers 13 football districts. The SFV was founded in 1990 and has its headquarters in L ...
, the
Saxony-Anhalt Football Association The Saxony-Anhalt Football Association (German: Fußballverband Sachsen-Anhalt - FSA), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Saxony-Anhalt and covers 14 football districts. The FSA was founded in 1990 and has its he ...
and the
Thuringian Football Association The Thuringia Football Association (German: Thüringer Fußballverband - TFV), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Thuringia and covers nine football districts. The TFV was founded in 1990 and has its headquarters ...
work as feeders to the Oberliga.


Western Germany

The
Western German Football Association The Western German Football Association (german: Westdeutscher Fußballverband; ''WDFV'') is one of the five regional associations of the German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; ''DFB'') and covers German state of North Rh ...
league system is the regional association league system in the state of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
and starts at level four of the German league system with the
Regionalliga West The Regionalliga West is a German semi-professional football division administered by the Western German Football Association based in Duisburg. It is one of the five German regional football associations. Being the single flight of the Western ...
on top. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the winners of the four other
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
divisions and the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
runner-up for three promotions to the 3. Liga. Below the regional association's league system, the three state association league systems of the
Lower Rhine Football Association The Lower Rhine Football Association (german: Fußballverband Niederrhein, FVN) is the umbrella organization of football clubs in the German Lower Rhine region, and comprises 14 football districts. The FVN was founded in 1947 and has its headquarte ...
, the
Middle Rhine Football Association The Middle Rhine Football Association (german: Fußball-Verband Mittelrhein, FVM) is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German mid-Rhein area and covers the football districts of Aachen, Berg, Bonn, Düren, Euskirchen, Heinsbe ...
and the
Westphalian Football and Athletics Association The Westphalia Football and Athletics Association (german: Fußball- und Leichtathletikverband Westfalen, FLVW) is the umbrella organization of football and athletics clubs in the German Westphalia area, and comprises 29 districts. The FLVW was cre ...
work as feeders to the Regionalliga.


Southwestern Germany

The
Southwestern Regional Football Association The Regional Football Association South West (german: Fussball-Regional-Verband Südwest), the ''FRVS'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saar ...
league system is the regional association league system in the states of
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
and
Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...
and starts at level four of the German league system with the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
on top, which is held under joint jurisdiction along with the
Southern German Football Association The Southern German Football Association (german: Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband), the ''SFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. ...
. The champions and the runner-up enter a promotion playoff along with the winners of the four other
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
divisions for three promotions to the 3. Liga. By rule, the champions and the runner-up will not face each other in the promotion playoffs. Below the regional association's league system, the three state associations league systems of the
Rhineland Football Association The Rhineland Football Association (german: Fussball-Verband Rheinland), the ''FVR'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the northern part of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.Saarland Football Association The Saarland Football Association (german: Saarländischer Fussball-Verband), the ''SFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Saarland.Southwest German Football Association The South West German Football Association (german: Südwestdeutscher Fussball-Verband), the ''SWFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the southern part of the state of Rhineland-Palatin ...
work as feeders to the Oberliga.


Southern Germany

The
Southern German Football Association The Southern German Football Association (german: Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband), the ''SFV'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. ...
league system is the regional association league system in the states of
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
and
Hessen Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Darms ...
and starts at level four of the German league system with the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
, which is held under joint jurisdiction along with the
Regional Football Association South West The Regional Football Association South West (german: Fussball-Regional-Verband Südwest), the ''FRVS'', is one of five regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saar ...
respectively with the
Regionalliga Bayern The Regionalliga Bayern, ( en, Regional league Bavaria), is the highest association football league in the state of Bavaria (german: Bayern) and the Bavarian football league system. It is one of five Regionalligas in German football, the fourth tie ...
. The champions and the runner-up of the
Regionalliga Südwest The Regionalliga Südwest ( en, Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together wit ...
and the champions of the
Regionalliga Bayern The Regionalliga Bayern, ( en, Regional league Bavaria), is the highest association football league in the state of Bavaria (german: Bayern) and the Bavarian football league system. It is one of five Regionalligas in German football, the fourth tie ...
enter a promotion playoff along with the winners of the three other
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
divisions for three promotions to the 3. Liga. Below the regional association's league system, the five state association league systems of the
Baden Football Association The Baden Football Association (german: Badischer Fußballverband), the ''bfv'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the north of Baden, the north-western part of the state of Baden-Württe ...
, the
Bavarian Football Association The Bavarian Football Association (german: Bayerischer Fussball-Verband), the ''BFV'', is one of 21 regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Bavaria.Hessian Football Association The Hessian Football Association (german: Hessischer Fußball-Verband), the ''HFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Hesse. The Hessian FA is also part of the Southern Ge ...
, the
South Baden Football Association The South Baden Football Association (german: Südbadischer Fußball-Verband), the ''SBFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the south-western part of the state of Baden-Württemberg.
and the Württembergian Football Association work as feeders to the Regionalliga.


State association league systems

Mostly in line with the geographical borders of the 16 German states, amateur football is organised by 21 state football associations. Therefore, 13 states, these being
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
,
Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
,
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
,
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
,
Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
,
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
,
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...
,
Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...
,
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
,
Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...
,
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
and
Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
have a state football association with a jurisdiction covering the whole area of the corresponding political entity. Three states are subdivided into more than one state football association. The state of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
is subdivided into three state associations, these being Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine and Westphalia. The state of
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
is also subdivided into three state associations, these being Baden, South Baden and Württemberg. Finally, the state of
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
is subdivided into two state associations, these being Rhineland and Southwest. Starting on levels four to six of the German football league system, each of these 21 state associations runs a league pyramid under its own jurisdiction. The state association of Bavaria starts its pyramid at level four. The top divisions of the state associations of Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Westphalia sit at level five of the pyramid. The pyramids of the remaining associations of Baden, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, South Baden, Southwest, Thuringia and Württemberg start at level six of the German football league system. All state associations have full jurisdiction over their league pyramids, though the configuration varies in between states. A traditional state league pyramid had a
Verbandsliga The Verbandsliga ( en, Football Association League) is usually a tier-six football league in the German football league system, covering the area of a '' Bundesland'' or a regional part of such Bundesland.Landesliga (State League). Due to many structural reforms in the last decades, both on federal level and on state levels, this structure has become more indeterminate. Currently, eight of the 21 state associations (Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Westphalia) have an Oberliga (English: Premier League) as their top amateur state division, some followed by a Verbandsliga, some directly by a Landesliga. Starting in 2012, the state association of Bavaria organized its own
Regionalliga The Regionalliga () is the fourth tier in the German football league system. Until 1974, it was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was introduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new nationwide 3. Liga in 2008, it became the four ...
(Regional League), a league formerly only organized by the superior regional associations. With the exception of Berlin and Hamburg, all other state associations usually supervise several county and/or district associations. The county associations usually cover the area of a government district, whereas the district associations have jurisdiction for the territory of an
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
. The associations of Bavaria, Bremen, Lower Saxony and the Southwest are initially subdivided into several county associations, the latter are then subdivided into district associations. The associations of South Baden and Württemberg have several county associations following in the league system, but no district associations. The remaining associations (Baden, Brandenburg, Hesse, Lower Rhine, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Middle Rhine, Rhineland, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia and Westphalia) are directly subdivided into district associations. The county associations usually run a single division, the
Bezirksliga The Bezirksliga ( en, County League) is commonly a medium set of amateur divisions set at steps 7, 8 or 9 in the German football league system. Structure Depending on the structural organisation within each of the 21 state football associations ...
(County League) under their jurisdiction, then followed by the district associations' top flights
Kreisliga The Kreisliga ( en, District League), along with the ''Kreisoberliga'' ( en, District Premier League) and the ''Kreisklasse'' ( en, District Class), are the lowest set of divisions in the German football league system, set at step 8 and below. S ...
(District League). State associations that are directly subdivided into district associations, typically run the Bezirksliga themselves. In Hesse, the Bezirksliga is called the
Gruppenliga The Gruppenliga ( en, Football Group League) is the seventh tier of football in the German state of Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its ...
(Group League).


Northern Germany


Schleswig-Holstein

The
Schleswig-Holstein Football Association The Schleswig-Holstein Football Association (german: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Fussball-Verband), the ''SHFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers most parts of the state of Schleswig-Holste ...
league system is the state association league system in the state of
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
and starts at level five of the German league system with the Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein on top. The current (2016–17 season) champions are Eutin 08. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the
Bremen-Liga The Bremen-Liga, sometimes also referred to as ''Oberliga Bremen'', is a fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football ...
champions, the Oberliga Hamburg champions and the
Niedersachsenliga The Oberliga Niedersachsen ( en, Upper League Lower Saxony), sometimes referred to as ''Niedersachsenliga'' (Lower Saxony league), is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony (ge ...
runner-up for two promotions to the
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
. Below the state association league system 12 district associations work as feeders to the Verbandsliga. In the 2017–18 season, the full system comprises 61 divisions having 861 teams. Additionally, four teams play above the state association league system:
Holstein Kiel Kieler Sportvereinigung Holstein von 1900 e.V., simply as KSV Holstein or Kieler SV Holstein, commonly known as Holstein Kiel (), is a German association football and sports club based in the city of Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. From the 1900s thro ...
('' 2. Bundesliga''), Eutin 08,
SC Weiche Flensburg 08 SC Weiche Flensburg 08 is a German association football club from the Weiche suburb of Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein. Apart from football the club also offers other sports like volleyball and table tennis. Before July 2017, the club was known as ...
and
VfB Lübeck VfB Lübeck is a German association football club playing in Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein in the country's north. In addition to its football side the 1,000 member sports club also has departments for badminton, women's gymnastics, handball, and ...
(''all
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
'').


Hamburg

The
Hamburg Football Association The Hamburg Football Association (german: Hamburger Fußball-Verband), the ''HFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Hamburg and some parts of southern Schleswig-Holstein.
league system is the state association league system in the state of
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
and parts of southern Schleswig-Holstein and northeastern Lower Saxony and it starts at level five of the German league system with the Oberliga Hamburg on top. The 2021–22 season champions were
TuS Dassendorf TuS Dassendorf is a German association football club from the municipality of Dassendorf, Schleswig-Holstein. The club's greatest success has been promotion to the tier five Oberliga Hamburg in 2013 and winning the league in each of its first f ...
. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the
Bremen-Liga The Bremen-Liga, sometimes also referred to as ''Oberliga Bremen'', is a fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football ...
champions, the Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein champions and the
Niedersachsenliga The Oberliga Niedersachsen ( en, Upper League Lower Saxony), sometimes referred to as ''Niedersachsenliga'' (Lower Saxony league), is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony (ge ...
runner-up for two promotions to the
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
. As the state of Hamburg consists only of the city of Hamburg itself, there are no local associations below. In the 2016–17 season, the full system comprises 30 divisions having 453 teams. Additionally, six teams play above the state association league system:
Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
(''
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
''),
FC St. Pauli Fußball-Club St Pauli von 1910 e.V., commonly known as simply FC St Pauli (), is a German professional football club based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, that competes in the 2. Bundesliga. The football department is part of a larger sp ...
('' 2. Bundesliga''), Altona 93, Hamburger SV II, FC St. Pauli II and
FC Eintracht Norderstedt 03 FC Eintracht Norderstedt 03 is a German football club based in Norderstedt, Schleswig-Holstein, currently playing in the Regionalliga Nord (IV). History The team was founded in 1945 as ''SV Eintracht Garstedt'', which joined ''1. SC Norderst ...
(''all
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
'').


Lower Saxony

The
Lower Saxony Football Association The Lower Saxony Football Association (german: Niedersächsischer Fussball-Verband), the ''NFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Lower Saxony.
league system is the state association league system in the state of
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
and starts at level five of the German league system with the
Niedersachsenliga The Oberliga Niedersachsen ( en, Upper League Lower Saxony), sometimes referred to as ''Niedersachsenliga'' (Lower Saxony league), is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony (ge ...
on top. The current (2016–17 season) champions are SSV Jeddeloh. The champions are directly promoted to
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
, whereas the runner-up enters a promotion playoff along with the
Bremen-Liga The Bremen-Liga, sometimes also referred to as ''Oberliga Bremen'', is a fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football ...
champions and the Oberliga Hamburg champions and the Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein champions for two additional promotions. Below the state association league system four county associations and following them 43 district associations work as feeders to the Oberliga. In the 2016–17 season, the full system comprises 295 divisions having 4,022 teams. Additionally, 16 teams play above the state association league system: Hannover 96 and
VfL Wolfsburg Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of W ...
(''
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
''),
Eintracht Braunschweig Braunschweiger Turn- und Sportverein Eintracht von 1895 e.V., commonly known as Eintracht Braunschweig () or BTSV (), is a German association football, football and sports club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding ...
('' 2. Bundesliga''), SV Meppen and
VfL Osnabrück VfL Osnabrück is a German multi-sport club in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony. It currently fields teams in basketball, gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, and tennis but is by far best known for its football section. History Foundation to WW2 The c ...
('' 3. Liga''), Lüneburger SK Hansa,
TSV Havelse TSV Havelse is a German association football club based in Garbsen, Lower Saxony, near Hanover. History The club was founded in 1912 as ''FC Pelikan-Havelse'' by a group of thirteen young men from the small village of Havelse. They took their ...
, VfL Wolfsburg II, Hannover 96 II, 1. FC Germania Egestorf/Langreder, Schwarz-Weiß Rehden,
VfB Oldenburg VfB Oldenburg is a German association football club based in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony. In the 2022–23 season, they play in the 3. Liga, the third level of football in Germany. History Founded by a group of high school boys as ''FC 1897 Ol ...
, SSV Jeddeloh,
SV Drochtersen/Assel SV Drochtersen/Assel is a German association football club from the municipality of Drochtersen, Lower Saxony. The club's greatest success has been promotion to the tier four Regionalliga Nord in 2015 after winning the Niedersachsenliga. Histor ...
,
VfV 06 Hildesheim VfV 06 Hildesheim is a Football in Germany, German association football club from the town of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony. The club's greatest success has been promotion to the tier four Regionalliga Nord in 2015. History Predecessor clubs VfV 06 H ...
and Eintracht Braunschweig II (''all
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
'').


Bremen

The
Bremen Football Association The Bremen Football Association (german: Bremer Fussball-Verband), the ''BFV'', is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Bremen.Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
and starts at level five of the German league system with the
Bremen-Liga The Bremen-Liga, sometimes also referred to as ''Oberliga Bremen'', is a fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football ...
on top. The current (2016–17 season) champions are
Bremer SV Bremer SV is a German association football club, based in the city of Bremen, which was founded in 1906. The club play their home games at the Panzenberg Stadium and currently participate in the 4th tier Regionalliga Nord. History Bremer SV w ...
. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the Oberliga Hamburg champions, the Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein champions and the
Niedersachsenliga The Oberliga Niedersachsen ( en, Upper League Lower Saxony), sometimes referred to as ''Niedersachsenliga'' (Lower Saxony league), is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony (ge ...
runner-up for two promotions to the
Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
. Below the state association league system one county association and following it two district associations work as feeders to the Landesliga. In the 2016–17 season, the full system comprises 11 divisions having 148 teams. Additionally, two teams play above the state association league system:
SV Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
(''
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
'') and SV Werder Bremen II ('' 3. Liga'').


Northeastern Germany


Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

The
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Football Association The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Football Association (german: Landesfußballverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, LFVMV), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and covers the football distr ...
league system in the state association league systems in the state of
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...
and starts at level six of the German league system with the
Verbandsliga Mecklenburg-Vorpommern The Verbandsliga Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the ...
on top. The current (2020–21 season) champions are
FC Mecklenburg Schwerin FC Mecklenburg Schwerin is a German football club based in Schwerin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The club was formed from a merger in 2013 and competes in the fifth tier NOFV-Oberliga Nord. The club plays its home matches at the Sportpark Lankow. ...
. The champions are directly promoted to Oberliga Nordost. Below the state association league system six district associations work as feeders to the Landesklasse. In the 2016–17 season, the full system comprises 37 divisions having 487 teams. Additionally, seven teams play above the state association league system:
Hansa Rostock FC Hansa Rostock () is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The club is also called as "the cog" because of its club crest. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the forme ...
('' 3. Liga''),
TSG Neustrelitz TSG Neustrelitz is a German association football club from Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The football side is part of a sports club that also has departments for gymnastics and chess. __TOC__ History The earliest roots of the associatio ...
(''
Regionalliga Nordost The Regionalliga Nordost is the fourth tier of German football in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia. These comprise the states of former East Germany as well as West Berlin. It i ...
''), Hansa Rostock II,
FC Anker Wismar FC Anker Wismar is a German association football club based in Wismar, Germany, currently playing in the Verbandsliga Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. History The club's origins date back to 1904 when ''FC Elite Wismar'' were established. The followi ...
,
Malchower SV Malchower SV is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in Malchow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, currently playing in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord. The club was established on 26 July 1990, but traces its tradition back to the city's ...
,
FC Mecklenburg Schwerin FC Mecklenburg Schwerin is a German football club based in Schwerin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The club was formed from a merger in 2013 and competes in the fifth tier NOFV-Oberliga Nord. The club plays its home matches at the Sportpark Lankow. ...
and Torgelower FC Greif (''all Oberliga Nordost'').


Brandenburg

The
Brandenburg State Football Association The Brandenburg Football Association (german: Fußball-Landesverband Brandenburg, FLB), is the umbrella organization of the football clubs in the German state Brandenburg and covers the football districts of Lower Lusatia, Prignitz/Ruppin, Uckermar ...
league system is the state association league system in the state of
Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
and starts at level six of the German league system with the
Brandenburg-Liga The Brandenburg-Liga (VI) (''formerly the Verbandsliga Brandenburg'') is the highest league for football teams exclusively in the German state of Brandenburg and at step six of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3. L ...
on top. The current (2016–17 season) champions are
VfB Krieschow {{Short pages monitor