The 1996–97 Frauen-Bundesliga was the seventh season of the Frauen-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. It was the last season, in which the first league was divided into two divisions. Beginning with the 1997–98 season all Bundesliga teams played in a single division. As the new uniform league had eight spaces less than the divided Bundesliga, eight teams had to play in the qualification with the champions of the Regionalligas.
In the final the leaders of the northern division met. Grün-Weiß Brauweiler defeated FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen 4–3 on penalties. Previously the regular time had ended goalless. In the extra time Rumeln-Kaldenhausen had taken an early lead, but Brauweiler had equalized late in the game. It was Brauweiler's only championship.
Northern division
Final standings
Results
Southern division
Final standings
Results
Semi-finals Match 1st leg 2nd leg Agg. SG Praunheim Grün-Weiß Brauweiler2–41–13 – 5 FSV Frankfurt FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen2–11–33 – 4
Final FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen Grün-Weiß Brauweiler 8 June 1997 Duisburg-Homberg Spectators: 5,000 Referee: Elke Günther (Bamberg) Sesek – Melanie Hoffmann – Claudia Mandrysch, Nicole Ferber – Puls (Ellen van Bergen 62), Martina Voss, Jutta Nardenbach, Maren Meinert, Sandra Albertz (Daniela Arndt 105) – Inka Grings, Jolanta Nieczypor Manuela Goller – Claudia Klein – Urusla Gertheinrich, Natascha Schwind (Carmen Lieth 46) – Andrea Klein, Sonja Fuss, Tünde Nagy (Vidmar 80), Bettina Wiegmann, Nicole Brandebusemeyer (Patricia Menge 77) – Gudrun Gottschlich, Carmen Holinka 1–0 Grings (91) 1–1 Menge (117) Penalty Shootout 2–2 Meinert 3–3 Hoffmann 4–4 Mandrysch Arndt (missed) 1–2 Wiegmann 2–3 Vidmar 3–4 Klein 4–5 Gertheinrich 4–5 Klein
Top scorers Rank Player Team Goals 1 Birgit PrinzFSV Frankfurt 20
Qualification Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Sources "West Germany (Women) 1996/97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 15 January 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-22.