The Bavarian football league system of the Bavarian Football Association ranks within the German football league system. Its highest division, the Regionalliga Bayern, is currently the fourth tier of German football. The lowest league in Bavaria is currently the C-Klasse, which is the 12th tier of German football.
In 2012, the league system experienced a major overhaul when the Regionalliga Bayern was established, the Bayernliga split into two regional divisions and the Landesliga expanded from three to five divisions.
The league system
Men The top-tiers of the league system as operated from 2014–15 onwards: LevelLeague(s)/Division(s)IBundesliga 18 clubsII2. Bundesliga 18 clubsIII3. Liga 20 clubsIVRegionalliga Bayern 18 clubsVBayernliga Nord 18 clubsBayernliga Süd 18 clubsVILandesliga Nordost 18 clubsLandesliga Nordwest 17 clubsLandesliga Mitte 18 clubsLandesliga Südost 17 clubsLandesliga Südwest 17 clubsVIIBezirksligas UnterfrankenBezirksligas OberfrankenBezirksligas MittelfrankenBezirksligas OberpfalzBezirksligas NiederbayernBezirksligas OberbayernBezirksligas Schwaben (see also: Swabian football league system)East
WestEast
WestMittelfranken 1
Mittelfranken 2North
SouthEast
WestNorth
South
EastNorth
SouthVIIIKreisligas UnterfrankenKreisligas OberfrankenKreisligas MittelfrankenKreisligas OberpfalzKreisligas NiederbayernKreisligas OberbayernKreisligas SchwabenWürzburg 1
Würzburg 2
Aschaffenburg
Rhön
Schweinfurt 1
Schweinfurt 2Bamberg
Bayreuth
Coburg
Kronach
Hof
MarktredwitzNuremberg
Frankenhöhe
Jura
Neumarkt
Erlangen/Pegnitz 1
Erlangen/Pegnitz 2Regensburg 1
Regensburg 2
Amberg
Weiden
Cham
SchwandorfPassau
Straubing
Isar-Rott
Donau-LaaberZugspitze 1
Zugspitze 2
Inn/Salzach 1
Inn/Salzach 2
Danube/Isar 1
Danube/Isar 2
Munich 1
Munich 2
Munich 3North
East
West
Augsburg
Central
SouthIXKreisklasses UnterfrankenKreisklasses OberfrankenKreisklasses MittelfrankenKreisklasses OberpfalzKreisklasses NiederbayernKreisklasses OberbayernKreisklasses Schwaben14 Kreisklasses13 Kreisklasses13 Kreisklasses9 Kreisklasses11 Kreisklasses18 Kreisklasses13 KreisklassesXA-Klasses UnterfrankenA-Klasses OberfrankenA-Klasses MittelfrankenA-Klasses OberpfalzA-Klasses NiederbayernA-Klasses OberbayernA-Klasses Schwaben20 A-Klasses20 A-Klasses21 A-Klasse11 A-Klasses19 A-Klasses28 A-Klasses13 A-KlassesXIB-Klasses UnterfrankenB-Klasses OberfrankenB-Klasses MittelfrankenB-Klasses OberpfalzB-Klasses OberbayernB-Klasses Schwaben26 B-Klasses19 B-Klasses24 B-Klasses16 B-Klasses27 B-Klasses23 B-KlassesXIIC-Klasses Oberbayern27 C-Klasses
Notes Denotes parts of league system above Bavarian level. All leagues on same level run parallel. League strengths are nominal and may vary from season to season.
Recent changes In 1988, upon the suggestion of the 1. FC Sonthofen in 1986, the Bezirksoberligas were introduced in Bavaria, set between the already existing Landesligas and Bezirksligas.
In 1998, the Bavarian FA renamed the three lowest football leagues:
A-Klasse became Kreisliga B-Klasse became Kreisklasse C-Klasse became A-Klasse
On top of this, in some of the seven Bezirke, two new lowest levels were introduced and named B and C-Klasse. The reason for this was the integration of all reserve teams into the normal competition. In the Bezirke who did not follow suit, like Schwaben, the reserve teams of clubs in the Kreisliga and below still compete in separate, parallel leagues.
The Bavarian football federation carried out drastic changes to the league system at the end of the 2011–12 season. With the introduction of the Regionalliga Bayern from 2012–13, it placed two Bayernligas below the Regionalliga. Below those, five Landesligas instead of the existing three were set, which were geographically divided to limit travel and increase the number of local derbies.Attraktive Gegner, regionale Einteilung, weniger Fahrtkosten BFV website, published: 12 February 2011, accessed: 29 April 2011
Matrix This is a table of the progression of the Bavarian league system by tier since 1963: Tier 1963–74 1974–81 1981–88 1988–94 1994–98 1998–2008 2008–12 2012– I Bundesliga II Regionalliga Süd 2nd Bundesliga Süd 2nd Bundesliga III Bayernliga Regionalliga Süd 3rd Liga IV Landesliga Bayernliga Regionalliga Süd Regionalliga Bayern V Bezirksliga Bezirksoberliga Landesliga Bayernliga VI A-Klasse Bezirksliga Bezirksoberliga Landesliga VII B-Klasse A-Klasse Bezirksliga Bezirksoberliga Bezirksliga VIII C-Klasse B-Klasse A-Klasse Kreisliga Bezirksliga Kreisliga IX — C-Klasse B-Klasse Kreisklasse Kreisliga Kreisklasse X — C-Klasse A-Klasse Kreisklasse A-Klasse XI — B-Klasse ‡ A-Klasse B-Klasse ‡ XII — C-Klasse ‡ B-Klasse ‡ C-Klasse ‡ XIII — C-Klasse ‡ — ‡ Since 1998 the B- and C- Klasse exist only in some parts of Bavaria. League system above the Bavarian level. Bavarian football league system. Tiers without league during the designated time period.
Bavarian Cup
Until 2009, the seven Bezirke in Bavaria each played their own cup competition which in turn functioned as qualifier to the German Cup (DFB-Pokal). Starting in 1998 these seven cup-winners advanced to the Bavarian Cup. The two finalists of this competition then advanced to the German Cup.
Since 2009, the regional cup competitions were dissolved and qualifying competitions established instead for the lower amateur leagues. The teams in the higher divisions of Bavarian football entered the enlarged Bavarian Cup directly.
Reserve teams
In 1955, 1. FC Nuremberg Amateure became the first reserve team to enter the Bayernliga, followed by FC Bayern Munich Amateure. Despite this, reserve teams from non-professional clubs were not permitted to enter the league system for many years after that, having to play in parallel reserve leagues with promotion and relegation determined by the performance of the senior team rather than the reserve side.
Regulations were slowly lowered and, in 1980, reserve teams of Landesliga clubs were permitted to enter the league pyramid, too. However, should a club drop out of the Landesliga, its reserve side would have to return to reserve football.
With the introduction of the Bezirksoberliga in 1988, reserve teams from this league were permitted to enter regular league football, too. Some years later, this right was also awarded to Bezirksliga clubs. Bavaria was however slow to allow all reserve sides to enter the league system, differing in this from most other German associations. Eventually, this hurdle was dropped too, but the final decision was awarded to the individual Bezirke. Up to the fourth-lowest level, senior and reserve team can play at the same level, but not in the same league, higher than that reserve teams have to play one level below the senior side.
In between, in 2008, reserve sides lost their right to compete in the cup competitions. Since the 2011–12 season, Swabia, Lower Bavaria, Lower Franconia and Upper Franconia have gradually integrated many reserve teams fully into the league system while the other three Bezirke have all the reserves.
Professional clubs often designate their reserve sides to be under-23 teams as the rules of utilising players in both the first and second them for under-23 players are less strict, with players above 23 having to have a mandatory 10-day break when being exchanged between teams.Spielordnung BFV website – Rules of the game, published: 15 July 2011, accessed: 30 July 2011
Women's and youth leagues Apart from the men's leagues, the Bavarian FA also operates league systems of women's and male and female youth leagues.
In the women's league system, the Bayernliga, the fourth tier of the German league system, is set as the highest state league, with two regional Landesligas below, north and south. Below those, the Bezirksoberligas are set, followed by Bezirksligas, Kreisligas and Kreisklasses, just like the men's. No league exists below the Kreisklasse. Additionally, a women's youth league system also exists with the Under 17 Bayernliga as its highest tier.
In the men's youth league system, both in the Under 19's and Under 17's, the Bayernliga forms the top-tier which is the second division of German youth football. Below the Bayernliga, two Landesligas and seven Bezirksoberligas are set followed by the standard league system. The Under 15's differ in as much as the Bayernliga is split into two regional divisions and set underneath the Southern German Regionalliga. Below the two Bayernligas, Bezirksoberligas are set, followed by the standard league system.
In the Under 13's and below, not all statewide leagues exist, with competitions being very regional.
The top-level leagues in Bavaria since 2011–12 are: GroupLeagueTier Men Bayernliga V Women Women's Bayernliga IV Under 19 boys Under 19 Bayernliga II Under 17 boys Under 17 Bayernliga II Under 17 girls Girls Under 17 Bayernliga I Under 15 boys Under 15 Bayernliga 1 II Under 15 girls Girls Under 17 Bezirksoberliga 2 I Under 13 boys Under 13 Bezirksoberliga I 1 In two regional divisions. 2 Only exists in some regions.
References
Sources Die Bayernliga 1945–1997, published by the DSFS, 1998 Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine Süddeutschlands Fußballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897–1988 History of Southern German football in tables, publisher & author: Ludolf Hyll 50 Jahre Bayrischer Fußball-Verband 50-year-anniversary book of the Bavarian FA, publisher: Vindelica Verlag, published: 1996 Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945–2005 History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables, publisher: DSFS, published: 2006
External links Bayrischer Fussball Verband (Bavarian FA) Das deutsche Fussball Archiv Historic German league tables Website with tables and results from the Bavarian Oberliga to Bezirksliga