The Regionalliga Südwest ('Regional League Southwest') is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Bayern, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga West.
The league was formed in 2012, when the clubs from the Regionalliga Süd, except those from Bavaria, were joined by the clubs of the Regionalliga West from Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.DFB-Bundestag beschließt Reform der Spielklassen DFB website. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010
History
The German league system had been reformed in 2008, when the 3. Liga was established and the number of regional leagues increased from two to three. A further alteration was made ahead of the 2012−13 season.Geschichte DFB website - Regionalliga History. Retrieved 6 July 2011 This was prompted by the large number of insolvencies in the fourth tier, caused by high costs and infrastructure requirements, while the clubs at this level complained about low incomes and lack of interest from TV broadcasters. Regionalliga stadia were required to have at least 1,000 seats and a separate stand with separate entrance for away spectators, and such requirements were seen as causing excessive financial strain on amateur clubs. Many clubs also struggled to cope with the 400-page long licence application, as they had to rely on volunteers rather than being able to draw on permanent staff.Regionalliga-Reform: Top-Amateure - Top-Talente in einer Liga! Bavarian FA website. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2011 This led to Oberliga champions sometimes declining their right to promotion to avoid the financial risks of the Regionalliga.Wendelsteiner Anstoß Bavarian FA website - The Wendelstein paper. Retrieved 6 July 2011
In October 2010, at a special conference of the German Football Association, the DFB, 223 of the 253 delegates voted for a reform of the league system at the fourth level. The number of Regionalligas was to be expanded to five, with the re-establishment of the Regionalliga Nordost, the formation of the Regionalliga Bayern and a shift of the Regionalliga Süd to the new Regionalliga Süd/Südwest, later renamed Regionalliga Südwest.
The suggestion for the league reform had come from Bavaria, where, in a meeting of top-level amateur clubs at Wendelstein, the financial survival of the leagues and clubs in the current system had been questioned. This meeting resulted in the publication of the Wendelsteiner Anstoß, which demanded a clear demarcation between professional football in the first three tiers of German football and amateur football below that. For this purpose, the paper demanded a re-establishment of the German amateur football championship as an incentive and goal for top amateur clubs that did not want to turn professional.Untere Ligen erfahren eine Aufwertung Augsburger Allgemeine. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011
With the reform in 2012, the Regionalliga was increased from three to five leagues. The Regionalliga Südwest is hosted by the Southwestern Regional Football Association and the Southern German Football Association (with the exception of the Bavarian Football Association). It extends over the federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg.
Rules for promotion to the 3. Liga have changed over time (see Promotion to the 3. Liga). Typically, four teams each year are relegated to and promoted from the three Oberliga leagues below the Regionalliga Südwest: the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar, Hessenliga and Oberliga Baden-Württemberg.
In 2017, the league signed an agreement to host the China national under-20 football team, allowing the team to compete in the league in friendly matches to fill in as the league's 20th club. The arrangement was only approved by 16 of the 19 clubs in the league, with those in opposition criticising it as part of the increasing commercialisation of football. During the team's match against TSV Schott Mainz, the display of a Tibetan flag led to the team walking off in protest. Consequently, the Chinese players were recalled and the agreement was abrogated.
Rules & regulations
Owners and shareholders The Regionalliga Südwest is owned by the Regionalliga Südwest GbR. The shareholders are nine football associations. The logo of the Regionalliga Südwest, which was introduced in 2012, shows a football player who is oriented towards the south-west. The seven blue stars symbolize the regional associations involved, the two white stars stand for the regional associations SFV and FRVS.
The seven DFB-German football associations: Baden Football Association Hessian Football Association Rhineland Football Association Saarland Football Association South Baden Football Association Southwest German Football Association Württemberg Football Association
The two DFB-Regionalverbände associations: Southern German Football Association Southwestern Regional Football Association
Inaugural qualification The new league was nominally going to have 18 clubs; however, in its first, transitional season the DFB permitted up to 22 clubs in the league. Restrictions existed on reserve sides, with no more than seven reserve teams were permitted per Regionalliga. Reserve teams of 3rd Liga clubs are not permitted to play in the Regionalliga. The make-up of the clubs entering the new Regionalligas from the leagues below was left to the regional football association and not regulated by the DFB.Spielklassenreform offiziell beschlossen Bavarian FA website. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011
An exception was the Bavarian club FC Bayern Alzenau, who had traditionally played in Hesse's league system. This club participated in the new Regionalliga Südwest, at their own request, rather than in the Regionalliga Bayern.Lizenz da: Der FC Bayern Alzenau kann für die Regionalliga planen Main Echo. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011
19 clubs qualified to play in the league's first season (2012–13): From the Regionalliga Süd: FC Bayern Alzenau, SC Freiburg II, Eintracht Frankfurt II, FSV Frankfurt II, Sonnenhof Großaspach, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II, KSV Hessen Kassel, Waldhof Mannheim, SC Pfullendorf, Wormatia Worms From the Regionalliga West: Eintracht Trier, SV Elversberg, SC Idar-Oberstein, 1. FC Kaiserslautern II, TuS Koblenz, 1. FSV Mainz 05 II Promoted from the Oberligas: 1. FC Eschborn, FC 08 Homburg, SSV Ulm 1846
Promotion to the 3. Liga Between 2012−13 and 2017−18, the Regionalliga Südwest winners and runners-up, and the champions of the four other Regionalligen played-off for three promotion spots.Grundzüge der Spielklassenreform DFB website - Basics of the Regionalliga reform. Retrieved 6 July 2011
As four teams were relegated from the 3. Liga at the end of the 2018–19 season, the Regionalliga Südwest champions Waldhof Mannheim, along with their counterparts from the Nordost and West, were promoted directly. In 2020, the three direct promotion spots went to the Südwest champions and the champions of the two leagues that participated in the promotion play-off in the previous season, while the champions of the Nordost and the West participate in the play-off. This format was initially installed as a temporary solution until the DFB-Bundestag in September 2019 decided on a format that could have enabled all Regionalliga champions to be promoted. On that date, the Bundestag delegates voted to grant the Südwest and West champions two direct promotions indefinitely starting in 2021, with a third direct promotion place assigned by rotation between the Regionalliga Nord, Nordost and Bayern champions. The champions of the two Regionalligen with no direct promotion place participate in two-legged playoffs to determine the fourth promoted team.
Champions & runners-up Season Champions Runners-up2012–13Hessen KasselSV Elversberg2013–14Sonnenhof GroßaspachSC Freiburg II12014–15Kickers Offenbach1. FC Saarbrücken2015–16Waldhof MannheimSV Elversberg2016–17SV ElversbergWaldhof Mannheim2017–181. FC SaarbrückenWaldhof Mannheim2018–19Waldhof Mannheim1. FC Saarbrücken2019–201. FC SaarbrückenTSV Steinbach2020–21SC Freiburg IISV Elversberg2021–22SV ElversbergSSV Ulm 18462022–23SSV Ulm 1846TSV Steinbach2023–24VfB Stuttgart IIStuttgarter Kickers2024–25TSG Hoffenheim IIKickers Offenbach2025-26Sonnenhof GroßaspachSGV Freiberg Promoted teams in bold. 1 SC Freiburg II did not apply for a 3. Liga licence and was replaced by third placed 1. FSV Mainz 05 II in the promotion round, which Mainz completed successfully.
Records Most points in a season SV Waldhof Mannheim – 88 (2018−19)
Most appearances Johannes Reichert – 333 (1. FC Kaiserslautern II, SSV Ulm 1846)
Most goals Florian Treske – 80 (Kickers Offenbach, Wormatia Worms, SSV Ulm 1846)
League statistics The top goal scorers and spectator statistics for the league are: SeasonOverall SpectatorsPer gameBest supported ClubSpectators /gameTop goal scorerGoals2012–13319,159Regionalliga Südwest 2012/2013 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 28 May 2013933Hessen Kassel3,489Jérôme Assauer Regionalliga Südwest 2012/2013 .:. Torschützenliste Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 28 May 2013 202013–14 388,257Regionalliga Südwest 2013/2014 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 22 May 2014 1,269 Kickers Offenbach 6,147 Petar Slišković Regionalliga Südwest 2013/2014 » Torschützenliste Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 22 May 2014 232014–15 476,243Regionalliga Südwest 2014/2015 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 20 May 2015 1,556 Kickers Offenbach 6,364 Daniele Gabriele Regionalliga Südwest 2014/2015 .:. Torschützenliste Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 20 May 2015 212015–16 521,523 1,704 Waldhof Mannheim 6,539 Mijo Tunjić 212016–17 599,772 1,754 Kickers Offenbach 5,229 Muhamed Alawie Patrick Schmidt 222017–18584,788 1,710 Kickers Offenbach 6,199 Karl-Heinz Lappe 222018–19500,972 1,637 Waldhof Mannheim 6,509 Jean Koffi 192019–20293,978 1,448 Kickers Offenbach 5,622 André Becker 202020–2162,089 234 Hessen Kassel 399 Sascha Marquet 262021–22354,102 1,035 Kickers Offenbach 5,317 Nick Proschwitz 202022–23442,103 1,445 Kickers Offenbach 5,922 Cas Peters 202023–24497,077 1,624 Kickers Offenbach 6,128 Phil Harres 24
League record
Placings in the Regionalliga Südwest Final league positions of all clubs who have played in the league: