German Football League System - State Association League Systems

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 Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia have a state football association with a jurisdiction covering the whole area of the corresponding political entity. Whereas three states are subdivided into more than one state football association. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is subdivided into three state associations, these being Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine and Westphalia. The state of Baden-Württemberg is also subdivided into three state associations, these being Baden, South Baden and Württemberg. Finally, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is subdivided into two state associations, these being Rhineland and Southwest.

Starting on levels 4 to 6 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 4. The top divisions of the state associations of Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Westphalia sit at level 5 of the pyramid. Whereas the pyramids of the remaining associations of Baden, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, South Baden, Southwest, Thuringia and Württemberg start at level 6 of the German football league system.

As all state association have their own full jurisdiction over their league pyramide, the configuration usually varies in between states. For long, a typical state league pyramid had a Verbandsliga (English: Association League) as its top flight, then followed by several divisions of Landesliga (English: State League). Due to many structural reforms in the last decades, both on federal level and on state levels, this structure has become more and more indeterminate recently. As of today, 8 of the 21 state associations, these being Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Westphalia now have an Oberliga (English: Premier League) as their top amateur state division, some followed by a Verbandsliga, some directly by a Landesliga. Starting 2012, for the first time in the History of the German football league system, the state association of Bavaria was now transferred the jurisdiction of an own Regionalliga (English: Regional League), a league formerly only organized by the superior regional associations.

With the exceptions of Berlin und Hamburg, below all other state associations usually come several county and/or district associations. The county associations usually cover the area of a government disctrict, whereas the district associations have jurisdiction for the terriority of an urban district. The associations of Bavaria, Bremen, Lower Saxony and Southwest are at first subdivided into several county associations, the latter than subdivided into district associations. Whereas the associations of South Baden and Württemberg have several county associations following in the league system, but no district associations. And finally, the associations of Baden, Brandenburg, Hesse, Lower Rhine, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Middle Rhine, Rhineland, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia and Westphalia directly are subdivided into district associations. The county associations usually run a single division, the Bezirksliga (English: County League) under their jurisdiction, then followed by the district associations' top flights Kreisliga (English: District League). State associations that are directly subdivided into district associations, typically run the Bezirksliga themselves.