Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken - Overview

Overview

The Bezirksoberligas in Bavaria were introduced in 1988 to create a highest single-division playing level for each of the seven Regierungsbezirke. The term Bezirksoberliga translates roughly into County Premier League, a Regierungsbezirk being a similar administrative entity to a County.

Before the introduction of the Bezirksoberligas, the Bezirksliga was the level of play below the Landesliga. The Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord and Mittelfranken-Süd fed the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte as they afterwards feed the Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken.

The winner of the Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken, like the winner of the Bezirksoberliga Niederbayern and Bezirksoberliga Oberpfalz, was directly promoted to the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte. The second placed teams out of those leagues played-off for another promotion spot with the 15th placed team out of the Landesliga for the last spot there. However, in some years additional promotion places were available in the Landesliga.

The three bottom teams of the Bezirksoberliga were relegated to the Bezirksliga, the team just above those faced a play-off against the second placed Bezirksliga teams.

With the league reform at the end of the 2011-12 season, which includes an expansion of the number of Landesligas from three to five, the Bezirksoberligas were disbanded. Instead, the Bezirksligas took the place of the Bezirksoberligas below the Landesligas once more.

The clubs from the Bezirksoberliga joined the following leagues:

• Champions : Promotion round to the Bayernliga, winners to the Bayernliga, losers to the Landesliga.
• Teams placed 2nd to 6th: Directly qualified to the Landesliga.
• Teams placed 7th to 12th: Four additional Landesliga places to be determined in a play-off round with the Bezirksliga champions, losers enter Bezirksliga.
• Teams placed 13th to 16th: Directly relegated to Bezirksliga.