NOFV-Oberliga

Last updated
NOFV-Oberliga
Karte-Fussball-Oberligen (ab 2012).png
Founded1991
CountryGermany
States
RegionNortheast
Divisions2
Number of teams36 (18 teams of each division)
Level on pyramid Level 5
Promotion to Regionalliga Nordost
Relegation to
Current championsNorth: Hansa Rostock II
South: FC Eilenburg
(2022–23)

The NOFV-Oberliga is a division at step 5 of the German football league system. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it became the successor of the DDR-Oberliga, and functions today as a 5th division in the former territory of East Germany and the city of Berlin.

Contents

This league is named after the Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband (NOFV: North-East German Football Association), the regional association of the DFB in the former East German territories.

The league is currently split in two groups, north and south, the NOFV-Oberliga Nord and NOFV-Oberliga Süd. A third league, the NOFV-Oberliga Mitte existed from 1991 to 1994.

1990–91 Season

The NOFV-Oberliga developed after the entry of the Deutscher Fußball-Verband (the East German Football Association) to the Deutscher Fußball-Bund. It was the successor of the DDR-Oberliga and functioned as the elite division in the former East Germany for this season only.

FC Hansa Rostock became champions of that league, with Dynamo Dresden being the runners-up. Thereby both acquired the starting rights for the 1991–92 Bundesliga season.

The following teams qualified directly for the 2. Bundesliga:

These two teams qualified indirectly through a playoff round:

All remaining clubs continued to play in the NOFV-Oberliga. This became the third-highest division starting with the 1991–92 season.

1991–1994

During these three seasons the NOFV-Oberliga was the third-highest league in German football. At this time it consisted of three divisions: North, Central and South. Overall there were 10 Oberligen in Germany at the time. At the end of the season, the Oberliga champions had a play-off for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. The bottom two teams of each division were relegated to the Landesligen.

Division champions and promotion to 2. Bundesliga:

1994–2007

With the introduction of the Regionalliga the NOFV-Oberliga became the 4th level of the pyramid starting with the 1994–95 season. The number of divisions was reduced by one so that only North and South remained. Today it is the highest amateur division. The champions of both divisions were promoted directly to Regionalliga until Regionalliga was reduced from 4 to 2 divisions from the 1999–2000 season. Due to that change, there was no promotion from Oberliga in the 1998–99, but more teams were relegated to Oberliga than usual.

Starting with the 1999–2000 season promotion was decided by a two-leg playoff between the division champions. This rule was scrapped for the 2005–06 season, so that both division champions will be promoted to Regionalliga at the end of this season.

The bottom three teams of each division are relegated to the 5th level of the pyramid, but this number can increase depending on which teams are relegated from Regionalliga.

The NOFV-Oberliga is played in two divisions:

Promotions to the Regionalliga since 1994–95:

League reform in 2008

At the end of the 2007–08 season, the NOFV-Oberligen were demoted one tier due to the inception of the new 3. Liga. The best three teams from each of the two leagues were promoted to the Regionalliga this season, the two fourth-placed teams played off for one more promotion spot: [1]

Additionally to the six Verbandsliga champions, three runners-up from this leagues were also promoted to the Oberliga. To determine the three teams, three promotion play-off match-ups were drawn:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DDR-Oberliga</span> Former top-level association football league in East Germany

The DDR-Oberliga was the top-level association football league in East Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oberliga (football)</span> Football league

The Oberliga is the fifth tier of the German football league system. Before the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier. At the end of the 2011–12 season the number of Oberligas was increased from eleven to fourteen.

The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league system for association football in Germany that in the 2016–17 season consisted of 2,235 leagues in up to 13 levels having 31,645 teams, in which all divisions are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. The top three professional levels contain one division each. Below this, the semi-professional and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. Therefore, in theory, it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become German football champions one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regionalliga Nord</span> Football league

The Regionalliga Nord is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Bayern, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Südwest and the Regionalliga West. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the third tier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regionalliga Nordost</span> Football league

The Regionalliga Nordost is the fourth tier of German football in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia. These comprise the states of former East Germany as well as West Berlin.

The NOFV-Oberliga Nord is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the northern states of the former East Germany and West Berlin. It covers the German states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and northern Saxony-Anhalt. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fourth tier of the league system, and until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the third tier.

The NOFV-Oberliga Süd is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the southern states of the former East Germany. It covers the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Saxony and southern Brandenburg. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fourth tier of the league system, and until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the third tier.

The NOFV-Oberliga Mitte was the third tier of the German football league system in the central states of former East Germany and West Berlin. The league existed from 1991 to 1994. It covered the German states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt.

The Verbandsliga Sachsen-Anhalt is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier.

The Brandenburg-Liga (VI) is the highest league for football teams exclusively in the German state of Brandenburg and at step six of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier. The champions of the Brandenburg-Liga are directly promoted to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord. If the champion is from the southern part of the state, it enters the Oberliga Süd.

The 2009–10 Regionalliga season was the sixteenth since its re-establishment after German reunification and the second as a fourth-level league within the German football league system. It was contested in three divisions with eighteen teams each. The competition began on 7 August 2008 with the first matches of each division and ended on 29 May 2010.

The 1999–2000 Regionalliga was the sixth season of the Regionalliga as the third tier of German football. It was also the last season to be competed in four divisions. Teams were not only competing for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, but also to qualify for the new two-division Regionalliga.

The 2010–11 Regionalliga season was the seventeenth since its re-establishment after German reunification and the third as a fourth-level league within the German football league system. It was contested in three divisions with eighteen teams each.

The 2010–11 season of the NOFV-Oberliga was the third season of the league at tier five (V) of the German football league system.

The 2011–12 season of the NOFV-Oberliga was the fourth season of the league at tier five (V) of the German football league system.

The 1994–95 Regionalliga season was the first year of the Regionalliga as the third tier of German football. There were four regional sections, Nord, Nordost, West-Südwest and Süd, each with eighteen teams. Most teams qualified from the Oberliga, which dropped to become a fourth-tier league, while five teams were relegated from the previous year's 2. Bundesliga. In the Nord section, four teams were promoted from the formerly fourth-tier Verbandsliga.

The 2014–15 season of the Oberliga was the seventh season of the Oberligas at tier five of the German football league system and the 41st season overall since reintroduction of the Oberligas in 1974. The regular season started in July 2014 and finished on 14 June 2015, followed by relegation and promotion play-offs.

The 2015–16 Regionalliga was the eighth season of the Regionalliga, the fourth under the new format, as the fourth tier of the German football league system. The champions of Regionalliga Nord – SV Werder Bremen II, the champions of the Regionalliga Nordost – 1. FC Magdeburg, and the champions of Regionalliga Bayern – Würzburger Kickers were promoted to the 3. Liga. Borussia Dortmund II, SpVgg Unterhaching and SSV Jahn Regensburg were relegated from 3. Liga.

The 2015–16 season of the NOFV-Oberliga was the eighth season of the league at tier five (V) of the German football league system and the 26th overall. The league is split in a northern and southern division.

The 2014–15 season of the NOFV-Oberliga was the seventh season of the league at tier five (V) of the German football league system and the 25th overall. The league was split in a northern and southern division.

References

  1. NOFV-News (in German) Retrieved 23 June 2008
  2. Lok Leipzig home page: Rückspiel Aufstiegs-Relegation zur Oberliga Saison 2007/2008 Archived 15 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine (in German) statistics to the second play-off game. Retrieved 23 June 2008
  3. SV Lichtenberg 47 home page - Herren: Nicht verloren, dennoch nicht aufgestiegen (in German) Retrieved 23 June 2008