The German Football League 2 (GFL2) is the second tier of American football in Germany, below the German Football League. Until 2007, the league was known as the 2. Bundesliga.German Football League 2 AFVD website, accessed: 20 January 2011
League structure The GFL2, formerly the 2. Bundesliga, which was formed in 1982,Football History Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 2 January 2010 is divided into a northern and southern division, with eight teams in each division. Unlike the GFL, there are no inter conference games and no GFL2 champion is determined.
For the 2011 season, both the northern and the southern champions were promoted, while the runners-up of the two divisions played the last placed team in the GFL division above for another spot in the league in 2012.Spielplan der GFL für 2011 steht GFL website, published: 8 December 2010, accessed: 29 December 2010 Since then the two division champions play a home-and-away series for a place each in the northern and southern division of the GFL.
Below the GFL2, six Regionalligas, Regional Leagues, are set, North, South, West, Central, East and Southwest. Four teams each are promoted each season from the Regionalliga to the GFL2. However, additional spots may become available if teams resign from either the GFL or the GFL2.
Promotion to the GFL2 is achieved through a promotion round at the end of the Regionalliga season which includes the best Regionalliga teams. For the southern division of the GFL2 the champions of the southern, southwestern and central division and for the northern GFL2 division the champions of the Regionalliga divisions north, west and east play each other once to determine the two promoted teams.
League history The league was formed as the 2nd American Football Bundesliga in 1982, consisting of 16 clubs in three regional divisions. League strength varied from season to season after this, but the three division format was retained until 1986, when a fourth regional group was added.
In 1995, the league was reduced to two divisions with seven clubs each. The strength was increased to eight teams per division in 1998 but continued to fluctuate because of teams withdrawing.
Promotion to the GFL2 is achieved through the promotion round of the best Regionalliga clubs whereby the champions from the south plays the runners-up from central division and the champions from central the runners-up from the south. The winners of these two contests earn a place in the southern division of the GFL2 for the following season. In the north the champions Of the Regionalliga divisions North,
GFL2 Teams in 2026
GFL2 North Team City State Elmshorn Fighting Pirates Elmshorn Schleswig-Holstein Hamburg Pioneers Hamburg Hamburg Krefeld Ravens Krefeld North Rhine-Westphalia Langenfeld Longhorns Langenfeld North Rhine-Westphalia Leipzig Lions Leipzig Saxony Minden Wolves Minden North Rhine-Westphalia Rostock Griffins Rostock Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
GFL2 South Team City State Albershausen Crusaders Albershausen Baden-Württemberg Augsburg Centurions Augsburg Bavaria Biberach Beavers Biberach Baden-Württemberg Gießen Golden Dragons Gießen Hesse Montabaur Fighting Farmers Montabaur Rhineland-Palatinate Wiesbaden Phantoms Wiesbaden Hesse
GFL2 season placings The placings in the league since 2000:GFL 2008 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011GFL 2009 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011GFL 2010 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011
North GFL2 North 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Braunschweig Lions GFL Dresden Monarchs 4 2 1 GFL Kiel Baltic Hurricanes GFL 2 1 1 GFL Berlin Rebels 2 5 5 6 1 GFL 2 GFL Potsdam Royals 5 3 1 GFL Hildesheim Invaders 7 8 7 5 1 GFL 3 1 GFL Düsseldorf Panther GFL 1 GFL 4 4 5 2 GFL 2 1 GFL * 2 GFL 2 1 GFL Krefeld Ravens 3 1 Rostock Griffins 8 3 4 3 * 4 5 3 2 2 2 Hamburg Pioneers 3 1 3 Leipzig Lions 6 4 Elmshorn Fighting Pirates 8 8 3 1 GFL 5 5 Langenfeld Longhorns 5 3 5 6 3 4 2 3 4 3 4 5 4 * 3 2 4 4 4 6 Minden Wolves 7 Paderborn Dolphins 3 2 5 7 1 GFL Lübeck Cougars 4 3 3 6 6 3 5 3 5 3 GFL 5 2 2 4 6 6 2 * 6 4 5 5 7 Oldenburg Knights 6 6 w Bielefeld Bulldogs 8 1 4 7 7 7 Cottbus Crayfish 2 7 8 Berlin Adler 3 1 GFL 8 * 1 GFL w Cologne Crocodiles GFL 3 4 1 GFL Münster Blackhawks 7 Solingen Paladins 2 5 * 5 6 8 Assindia Cardinals 1 GFL 7 7 1 GFL 8 6 8 * 8 7 Hamburg Huskies 1 2 4 6 4 5 4 2 1 2 7 4 3 1 GFL 6 * 7 8 Hannover Spartans 7 Troisdorf Jets 7 3 6 8 4 3 2 7 8 Bonn Gamecocks 7 6 7 6 4 6 6 5 7 Ritterhude Badgers 8 Cologne Falcons 1 GFL 2 6 6 1 GFL Hamburg Blue Devils GFL 1 GFL Osnabrück Tigers 5 6 Mönchengladbach Mavericks 1 GFL Magdeburg Virgin Guards 6 5 4 5 Recklinghausen Chargers 8 Frankfurt Red Cocks 7 Weyhe Vikings 4 7 8 Hannover Musketeers 2 2 GFL 5 Bochum Cadets 6 8 Dortmund Giants 5 3 In the 2000, 2001 and 2006 seasons, only seven clubs played in the league. In the 2002 and 2011 seasons, only six clubs played in the league. In the 2003 season, only five clubs played in the league. 1 Played as the Hamburg Wild Huskies until 2003, then as the Hamburg Eagles from 2004 to 2009 before becoming the Hamburg Huskies from 2010.
South
GFL2 South 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 2 GFL Munich Cowboys GFL 1 GFL 1 GFL Allgäu Comets 3 3 3 6 1 1 GFL Ravensburg Razorbacks 4 6 5 2 1 1 GFL Saarland Hurricanes 1 GFL 5 4 1 GFL 2 2 * GFL Straubing Spiders 6 6 8 3 3 * 1 GFL Pforzheim Wilddogs 4 1 GFL Regensburg Phoenix 3 3 1 GFL Wiesbaden Phantoms 4 2 2 4 3 2 2 GFL 2 5 3 5 5 5 * 5 7 4 1 Albershausen Crusaders 6 7 6 2 2 Augsburg Centurions 3 Montabaur Fighting Farmers 4 7 8 2 8 4 Gießen Golden Dragons 6 4 6 7 4 5 4 3 5 Biberach Beavers 4 * 5 6 Nürnberg Rams 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 w 6 Fursty Razorbacks 2 7 7 * 2 5 2 5 7 Kirchdorf Wildcats1 1 2 5 5 6 6 5 6 5 1 3 2 1 GFL * 3 2 1 GFL w Ingolstadt Dukes 2 1 GFL 1 GFL w Frankfurt Universe 2 2 3 1 GFL 6 w Marburg Mercenaries 3 1 1 GFL w Bad Homburg Sentinels 4 3 7 Stuttgart Scorpions GFL 6 8 Frankfurt Pirates 6 5 6 8 * 6 8 Darmstadt Diamonds 4 2 6 2 3 1 GFL 3 5 4 8 7 7 6 * Rhein Neckar Bandits 5 4 2 GFL Franken Knights GFL 4 4 2 2 1 3 1 GFL 7 München Rangers 8 8 Holzgerlingen Twister 6 3 7 5 6 Starnberg Argonauts 7 Kaiserslautern Pikes 6 8 3 8 Plattling Black Hawks 3 3 1 GFL Badener Greifs 7 7 Weinheim Longhorns 3 1 GFL 8 Hanau Hornets 8 5 5 6 6 8 7 Stuttgart Silver Arrows 7 7 8 Königsbrunn Ants 8 7 5 8 Aschaffenburg Stallions GFL 7 Jena Hanfrieds 8 Franken Timberwolves 5 5 4 6 7 Rhein Main Razorbacks GFL Mainz Golden Eagles 5 4 Rottenburg Red Knights 4 7 Landsberg Express GFL
In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, only seven clubs played in the league. In the 2001 season, only six clubs played in the league. 1 Played as the Simbach Wildcats until 2003.
GFL = Team played in GFLDivisional champion
Divisional champions The winners of the regional divisions of the GFL: Year North Central South 1982 Hamburg Dolphins Red Barons Cologne Noris Rams 1983 Bonn Jets Mannheim Redskins Kempten Comets 1984 Dortmund Giants Mainz Golden Eagles Kempten Comets 1985 Cologne Crocodiles II Stuttgart Scorpions Rothenburg Knights
Year North West Central South 1986 Hildesheim Invaders Recklinghausen Chargers Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns München Rangers 1987 Bremerhaven Seahawks Ratingen Raiders Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns Würzburg Pumas 1988 Bremen Buccaneers Recklinghausen Chargers Rüsselsheim Crusaders Königsbrunn Ants 1989 Hildesheim Invaders Recklinghausen Chargers Darmstadt Diamonds Fürth Buffalos 1990 Hamburg Silver Eagles Cologne Bears Stuttgart Scorpions Regensburg Royals 1991 Berlin Rebels Cologne Bears Stuttgart Scorpions Regensburg Royals 1992 Hamburg Silver Eagles Solingen Hurricanes Hanau Hawks Rothenburg Knights 1993 Braunschweig Lions Cologne Bears Frankfurt Gamblers Erding Bulls 1994 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Tecklenburg Silverbacks Stuttgart Scorpions Simbach Wildcats
Year North South 1995 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Rüsselsheim Razorbacks 1996 Berlin Rebels Landsberg Express 1997 Paderborn Dolphins Saarland Hurricanes 1998 Berlin Rebels Aschaffenburg Stallions 1999 Bremen Bravehearts Franken Knights 2000 Assindia Cardinals Saarland Hurricanes 2001 Berlin Adler Marburg Mercenaries 2002 Dresden Monarchs Marburg Mercenaries 2003 Düsseldorf Panther Simbach Wildcats 2004 Cologne Falcons Munich Cowboys 2005 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Darmstadt Diamonds 2006 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Weinheim Longhorns 2007 Hamburg Eagles Munich Cowboys 2008 Assindia Cardinals Plattling Black Hawks 2009 Berlin Rebels Franken Knights 2010 Mönchengladbach Mavericks Saarland Hurricanes 2011 Hamburg Blue Devils Franken Knights 2012 Cologne Falcons Allgäu Comets 2013 Bielefeld Bulldogs Allgäu Comets 2014 Hamburg Huskies Kirchdorf Wildcats 2015 Hildesheim Invaders Frankfurt Universe 2016 Cologne Crocodiles Ingolstadt Dukes 2017 Potsdam Royals Kirchdorf Wildcats 2018 Düsseldorf Panther Ravensburg Razorbacks 2019 Elmshorn Fighting Pirates Ravensburg Razorbacks 2021 Berlin Adler Straubing Spiders 2022 Paderborn Dolphins Ingolstadt Dukes 2023 Hildesheim Invaders Kirchdorf Wildcats 2024 Düsseldorf Panther Pforzheim Wilddogs 2025 Hamburg Pioneers Regensburg Phoenix 2026 Krefeld Ravens Wiesbaden Phantoms
References
External links German Football League official website German American Football Association website Football History Historic American football tables from Germany