German Football League 2

Last updated
German Football League 2
Current season, competition or edition:
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2025 German Football League
German Football League 2.png
Sport American football
Founded1982;43 years ago (1982)
Administrator AFVD
No. of teams16
Country Germany
Most recent
champion(s)
North: Berlin Adler
Level on pyramid Level 2
Related
competitions
German Football League
Regionalliga
Official website GFL.info

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. [1]

Contents

League structure

The GFL2, formerly the 2. Bundesliga, which was formed in 1982, [2] 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. [3] 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. [2]

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. [2]

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. [2]

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 2025

Germany adm location map.svg
Blue pog.svg
Pioneers
Blue pog.svg
Lions
Blue pog.svg
Longhorns
Blue pog.svg
Griffins
Blue pog.svg
Ravens
Red pog.svg
Beavers
Red pog.svg
Crusaders
Red pog.svg
Fighting Farmers
Red pog.svg
Razorbacks
Red pog.svg
Golden Dragons
Red pog.svg
Phoenix
Location of teams in the German Football League 2 in 2025

GFL2 North

TeamCityState
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
Lübeck Cougars Lübeck Schleswig-Holstein
Rostock Griffins Rostock Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

GFL2 South

TeamCityState
Albershausen Crusaders Albershausen Baden-Württemberg
Biberach Beavers Biberach Baden-Württemberg
Fursty Razorbacks Fürstenfeldbruck Bavaria
Gießen Golden Dragons Gießen Hesse
Montabaur Fighting Farmers Montabaur Rhineland-Palatinate
Nürnberg Rams Nuremburg Bavaria
Regensburg Phoenix Regensburg Bavaria
Wiesbaden Phantoms Wiesbaden Hesse

GFL2 season placings

The placings in the league since 2000: [2] [4] [5] [6]

North

GFL2 North00010203040506070809101112 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
New Yorker Lions GFL
Dresden Monarchs 421GFL
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes GFL211GFL
Berlin Rebels 25561GFL2GFL
Potsdam Royals 531GFL
Paderborn Dolphins 32571GFL
Hildesheim Invaders 78751GFL31GFL
Düsseldorf Panther GFL1GFL4452GFL21GFL*2GFL21GFL
Hamburg Pioneers 31
Rostock Griffins 8343*45322
Krefeld Ravens 3
Langenfeld Longhorns 5356342343454*32444
Elmshorn Fighting Pirates 8831GFL5
Leipzig Lions 6
Lübeck Cougars 4336635353GFL5224662*64557
Oldenburg Knights 66w
Bielefeld Bulldogs 814777
Cottbus Crayfish 278
Berlin Adler 31GFL8*1GFLw
Cologne Crocodiles GFL341GFL
Münster Blackhawks 7
Solingen Paladins 25*568
Assindia Cardinals 1GFL771GFL868*87
Hamburg Huskies 12464542127431GFL6*78
Hannover Spartans 7
Troisdorf Jets 736843278
Bonn Gamecocks 767646657
Ritterhude Badgers 8
Cologne Falcons 1GFL2661GFL
Hamburg Blue Devils GFL1GFL
Osnabrück Tigers 56
Mönchengladbach Mavericks 1GFL
Magdeburg Virgin Guards 6545
Recklinghausen Chargers 8
Frankfurt Red Cocks 7
Weyhe Vikings 478
Hannover Musketeers 22GFL5
Bochum Cadets 68
Dortmund Giants 53

South

GFL = Team played in GFLDivisional champion

Divisional champions

The winners of the regional divisions of the GFL: [2]

YearNorthCentralSouth
1982Hamburg Dolphins Red Barons Cologne Noris Rams
1983Bonn JetsMannheim Redskins Kempten Comets
1984 Dortmund Giants Mainz Golden EaglesKempten Comets
1985Cologne Crocodiles II Stuttgart Scorpions Rothenburg Knights
YearNorthWestCentralSouth
1986 Hildesheim Invaders Recklinghausen Chargers Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns München Rangers
1987 Bremerhaven Seahawks Ratingen RaidersSchwäbisch Hall UnicornsWürzburg Pumas
1988Bremen BuccaneersRecklinghausen ChargersRüsselsheim CrusadersKönigsbrunn Ants
1989Hildesheim InvadersRecklinghausen Chargers Darmstadt Diamonds Fürth Buffalos
1990Hamburg Silver EaglesCologne BearsStuttgart ScorpionsRegensburg Royals
1991 Berlin Rebels Cologne BearsStuttgart ScorpionsRegensburg Royals
1992Hamburg Silver EaglesSolingen Hurricanes Hanau Hawks Rothenburg Knights
1993 Braunschweig Lions Cologne BearsFrankfurt GamblersErding Bulls
1994 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Tecklenburg SilverbacksStuttgart Scorpions Simbach Wildcats
YearNorthSouth
1995Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Rüsselsheim Razorbacks
1996Berlin RebelsLandsberg Express
1997 Paderborn Dolphins Saarland Hurricanes
1998Berlin RebelsAschaffenburg Stallions
1999Bremen BraveheartsFranken 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
2005Kiel Baltic HurricanesDarmstadt Diamonds
2006Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Weinheim Longhorns
2007Hamburg EaglesMunich Cowboys
2008Assindia Cardinals Plattling Black Hawks
2009Berlin RebelsFranken Knights
2010 Mönchengladbach Mavericks Saarland Hurricanes
2011 Hamburg Blue Devils Franken Knights
2012Cologne FalconsAllgäu Comets
2013Bielefeld BulldogsAllgäu Comets
2014 Hamburg Huskies Kirchdorf Wildcats
2015 Hildesheim Invaders Frankfurt Universe
2016 Cologne Crocodiles Ingolstadt Dukes
2017 Potsdam Royals Kirchdorf Wildcats
2018Düsseldorf Panther Ravensburg Razorbacks
2019 Elmshorn Fighting Pirates Ravensburg Razorbacks
2021Berlin Adler Straubing Spiders
2022Paderborn DolphinsIngolstadt Dukes
2023Hildesheim InvadersKirchdorf Wildcats
2024Düsseldorf Panther Pforzheim Wilddogs

References

  1. German Football League 2 Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine (in German) AFVD website, accessed: 20 January 2011
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Football History Archived 2017-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 2 January 2010
  3. Spielplan der GFL für 2011 steht Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine (in German) GFL website, published: 8 December 2010, accessed: 29 December 2010
  4. GFL 2008 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011
  5. GFL 2009 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011
  6. GFL 2010 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011