Berlin Rebels

Last updated
Berlin Rebels
Berlin Rebels.png
Founded1987
League German Football League
Based in Berlin, Germany
Arena Mommsenstadion
ColorsBlack and Silver
  
Championships Junior Bowl: 1992, 1996, 2000
Division titlesGFL 2 North: 1991, 1996, 1998, 2009
Website berlin-rebels.de

The Berlin Rebels are an American football team from Berlin, Germany.

Contents

The team is playing in the German Football League, the highest level of American football in Germany. In the most recent seasons the Rebels managed to qualify for the play-offs.

At junior level, the club had more success, having taken out the German Junior Bowl on three occasions, in 1992, 1996 and 2000.

History

The club was formed in 1987, as the American Football department of the SC Charlottenburg. [1]

The Rebels entered league football in 1988, playing for a season in the third tier Verbandsliga Nord before entering the 2nd American Football Bundesliga, now the GFL 2, in the following year. The club spent three seasons there until a division championship, won without dropping a game, earned it promotion to Germany's highest league. [2]

Four seasons in the GFL followed in which the team never finished better than fifth in its division and consequently missed out on the post season each time. In 1995 it finished sixth in its division and was relegated back to the second tier. The Rebels were a strong side at this level again, taking out division championships in 1996 and 1998. In 1998, it took part in the promotion round to the GFL but missed out to Paderborn Dolphins. After this, the club decided to withdraw from league football altogether and took a two-year break. [2]

The Rebels returned in 2001, now playing in the fourth division Oberliga Ost. A championship there earned the side promotion to the Regionalliga Ost, where it spent another two years before making a return to the 2nd Bundesliga. The first season there went well for the club, coming second in the northern division but after that three average seasons followed with fifth and sixth places. [2]

In 2009, the club won another division championship and moved up to the GFL once more. It was to be a short visit, the Rebels came last and were forced to play the Düsseldorf Panther in the promotion-relegation round. Two very tight games followed. The Rebels lost at home 41–43 but managed to defeat the Panthers in Düsseldorf 34–33. Nevertheless, this was not enough, the Rebels were relegated on aggregate score by a point. [2]

The 2011 season provided an opportunity for easier promotion from the GFL 2 as the GFL was to be enlarged from 14 to 16 teams and, consequently, the division champions were promoted directly and the runners-up had the right to play the last placed GFL teams. The Rebels came second in the northern division, behind the Hamburg Blue Devils but were spared the promotion round when the last placed GFL team, the Assindia Cardinals, decided to withdraw from the league to the GFL 2 for financial reasons. [2] In 2012, the club came fifth in the northern division of the GFL and failed to qualify for the play-off, a result repeated in 2013. It missed out on the play-offs in 2014 and 2015, too after coming sixth and fifth in the league.

In 2016, the Rebels finished their division on a fourth rank and qualified for the play-offs. In the quarter-finals they lost against the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. The following season was a perfect copy. Again the Rebels finished fourth and lost their quarter final in Schwäbisch Hall, but this time the Unicorns needed an overtime. In 2018 the Rebels played their most successful season. Only a half win short to division champs New Yorker Lions and runners-up Dresden Monarchs they finished third. Their third consecutive quarter finals appearance they lost against Frankfurt Universe.

Honours

Recent seasons

Recent seasons of the club: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

YearDivisionFinishPointsPct.GamesWDLPFPAPostseason
2005 GFL2 (North)2nd24–40.857141202481143
20065th9–130.40911416107167
20075th11–150.42313517177224
20086th12–160.42914608205337
20091st21–70.750141013284218
2010 GFL (North)6th8–160.33312327188202Lost RR: Düsseldorf Panther (41–43 & 34–33)
2011GFL2 (North)2nd13–70.65010613267161
2012 GFL (North)5th13–150.46414617371258
2013 5th12–160.42914608365360
2014 6th4–200.167122010174495
2015 5th8–160.33312408296337
2016 4th21–70.750141013494315Lost QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (14–24)
2017 4th16–120.57114806462313Lost QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (24–31)
2018 3rd22–60.786141103367211Lost QF: Frankfurt Universe (5–6)
2019 4th16–120.57114806387302Lost QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (24–45)
2020 No season played because of the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 6th2–180.10010109118297
2022 6th7–130.35010316348371
2023 4th12–120.50012606291276Lost QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (7–17)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Football League</span> German league of American football

The German Football League (GFL) is an American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA. In 1999, the league switched its name from American-Football-Bundesliga to German Football League. In terms of attendance figures, cumulative salaries paid by teams, performance in international exhibition games and competitions and ability to draw foreign talent, the GFL is arguably the strongest national league in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Düsseldorf Panther</span> German American football team

The Düsseldorf Panther are an American football team from Düsseldorf, Germany. The club is the oldest extant American football club in Europe, having been formed on 1 May 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Adler</span>

The Berlin Adler is an American football club based in Berlin, Germany. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the sport in Germany, having won six German Bowls as well as ten Ladies Bowls and five Junior Bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Yorker Lions</span> American Football team from Germany

The New Yorker Lions are an American Football team from Braunschweig, Germany. Until late 2010, the team was known as the Braunschweig Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiel Baltic Hurricanes</span>

The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes are an American football team based in Kiel, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marburg Mercenaries</span> American football team in Marburg, Germany

The Marburg Mercenaries are an American football team from Marburg, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns</span>

The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns are an American football team from Schwäbisch Hall, Germany founded in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dresden Monarchs</span>

The Dresden Monarchs are an American football team from Dresden, Germany. They have been a member of the first tier German Football League since 2002 and play in its Northern Division. In 2021 they were GFL champions after having won German Bowl XLII. In January 2023 the Monarchs named longtime NFL Coach Paul Alexander as their Head Coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assindia Cardinals</span> Sports club

The Assindia Cardinals are an American football team from Essen, Germany. Assindia is the Latin name for Essen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mönchengladbach Mavericks</span>

The Mönchengladbach Mavericks were an American football team from Mönchengladbach, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburg Huskies</span>

The Hamburg Huskies are an American football team in Hamburg, Germany. The club's greatest success came in 2014 when it won the northern division of the German Football League 2 and earned promotion to the German Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankfurt Universe</span>

The Frankfurt Universe are a German American football team from Frankfurt, Hesse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 German Football League</span> Sports season

The 2015 German Football League season was the thirty seventh edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany and sixteenth since the renaming of the American football Bundesliga to German Football league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 German Football League</span> Sports season

The 2014 German Football League season was the thirty sixth edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany and fifteenth since the renaming of the American football Bundesliga to German Football league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 German Football League</span> Sports season

The 2013 German Football League season was the thirty fifth edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany and fourteenth since the renaming of the American football Bundesliga to German Football league.

The 2016 German Football League season was the 38th edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany and seventeenth since the renaming of the American Football Bundesliga to German Football league.

The 2017 German Football League season was the 39th edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany and 18th since the renaming of the American Football Bundesliga to German Football league.

The 2018 German Football League season was the 40th edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany.

The 2019 German Football League season is the 41st edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany.

The 2022 German Football League season is the 43rd edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany.

References

  1. American Football (in German) SC Charlottenburg website, accessed: 15 December 2011
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Football History (in German) Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 16 December 2011
  3. GFL 2 2008 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 16 December 2011
  4. GFL 2 2009 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 16 December 2011
  5. GFL 2010 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 16 December 2011
  6. GFL 2 2011 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 11 December 2011