German Football League 2

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]

German Football League 2
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 German Football League
SportAmerican football
Founded1982; 42 years ago (1982)
AdministratorAFVD
No. of teams16
CountryGermany
Most recent
champion(s)
North: Berlin Adler
South: Straubing Spiders
Level on pyramidLevel 2
Related
competitions
German Football League
Regionalliga
Official websiteGFL.info

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 2023

Langenfeld Longhorns
Rostock Griffins
Solingen Paladin
Bad Homburg Sentinels
Frankfurt Pirates
Fursty Razorbacks
Gießen Golden Dragons
Location of teams in the German Football League 2 in 2022

GFL2 North

TeamCityState
Bielefeld BulldogsBielefeldNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Cottbus CrayfishCottbusBrandenburg
Düsseldorf PantherDüsseldorfNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Langenfeld LonghornsLangenfeldNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Lübeck CougarsLübeckSchleswig-Holstein
Oldenburg KnightsOldenburgLower Saxony
Rostock GriffinsRostockMecklenburg-Vorpommern
Solingen PaladinsSolingenNorth Rhine-Westphalia

GFL2 South

TeamCityState
Albershausen CrusadersAlbershausenBaden-Württemberg
Montabaur Fighting FarmersMontabaurRhineland-Palatinate
Fursty RazorbacksFürstenfeldbruckBavaria
Gießen Golden DragonsGießenHesse
Pforzheim WilddogsPforzheimBaden-Württemberg
Regensburg PhoenixRegensburgBavaria

GFL2 season placings

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

North

GFL2 North00010203040506070809101112131415161718192021222324
New Yorker LionsGFL
Dresden Monarchs421GFL
Kiel Baltic HurricanesGFL211GFL
Berlin Rebels25561GFL2GFL
Potsdam Royals531GFL
Berlin Adler31GFL8*1GFL
Paderborn Dolphins32571GFL
Hildesheim Invaders78751GFL31GFL
Düsseldorf PantherGFL1GFL4452GFL21GFL*2GFL2*
Rostock Griffins8343*453*
Langenfeld Longhorns5356342343454*324*
Lübeck Cougars4336635353GFL5224662*645*
Oldenburg Knights6*
Bielefeld Bulldogs81477*
Cottbus Crayfish27*
Hamburg Pioneers*
Cologne CrocodilesGFL341GFL
Münster Blackhawks7
Solingen Paladins25*568
Assindia Cardinals1GFL771GFL868*87
Hamburg Huskies 12464542127431GFL6*78
Elmshorn Fighting Pirates8831GFL
Hannover Spartans7
Troisdorf Jets736843278
Bonn Gamecocks767646657
Ritterhude Badgers8
Cologne Falcons1GFL2661GFL
Hamburg Blue DevilsGFL1GFL
Osnabrück Tigers56
Mönchengladbach Mavericks1GFL
Magdeburg Virgin Guards6545
Recklinghausen Chargers8
Frankfurt Red Cocks7
Weyhe Vikings478
Hannover Musketeers22GFL5
Bochum Cadets68
Dortmund Giants53
  • 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 South00010203040506070809101112131415161718192021222324
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns2GFL
Munich CowboysGFL1GFL1GFL
Allgäu Comets333611GFL
Ravensburg Razorbacks465211GFL
Saarland Hurricanes1GFL541GFL22*GFL
Straubing Spiders66833*1GFL
Ingolstadt Dukes21GFL1GFL
Kirchdorf Wildcats 11255665651321GFL*321GFL
Fursty Razorbacks277*252*
Regensburg Phoenix3*
Pforzheim Wilddogs4*
Gießen Golden Dragons646745*
Albershausen Crusaders67*
Montabaur Fighting Farmers478*
Frankfurt Universe2231GFL6w
Marburg Mercenaries311GFL
Bad Homburg Sentinels437
Stuttgart ScorpionsGFL68
Wiesbaden Phantoms4224322GFL253555*57
Frankfurt Pirates6568*68
Biberach Beavers4*
Darmstadt Diamonds426231GFL3548776*
Nürnberg Rams4344434
Rhein Neckar Bandits542GFL
Franken KnightsGFL4422131GFL7
München Rangers88
Holzgerlingen Twister63756
Starnberg Argonauts7
Kaiserslautern Pikes6838
Plattling Black Hawks331GFL
Badener Greifs77
Weinheim Longhorns31GFL8
Hanau Hornets8556687
Stuttgart Silver Arrows778
Königsbrunn Ants8758
Aschaffenburg StallionsGFL7
Jena Hanfrieds8
Franken Timberwolves55467
Rhein Main RazorbacksGFL
Mainz Golden Eagles54
Rottenburg Red Knights47
Landsberg ExpressGFL
  • 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:[2]

YearNorthCentralSouth
1982Hamburg DolphinsRed Barons CologneNoris Rams
1983Bonn JetsMannheim RedskinsKempten Comets
1984Dortmund GiantsMainz Golden EaglesKempten Comets
1985Cologne Crocodiles IIStuttgart ScorpionsRothenburg Knights
YearNorthWestCentralSouth
1986Hildesheim InvadersRecklinghausen ChargersSchwäbisch Hall UnicornsMünchen Rangers
1987Bremerhaven SeahawksRatingen RaidersSchwäbisch Hall UnicornsWürzburg Pumas
1988Bremen BuccaneersRecklinghausen ChargersRüsselsheim CrusadersKönigsbrunn Ants
1989Hildesheim InvadersRecklinghausen ChargersDarmstadt DiamondsFürth Buffalos
1990Hamburg Silver EaglesCologne BearsStuttgart ScorpionsRegensburg Royals
1991Berlin RebelsCologne BearsStuttgart ScorpionsRegensburg Royals
1992Hamburg Silver EaglesSolingen HurricanesHanau HawksRothenburg Knights
1993Braunschweig LionsCologne BearsFrankfurt GamblersErding Bulls
1994Kiel Baltic HurricanesTecklenburg SilverbacksStuttgart ScorpionsSimbach Wildcats
YearNorthSouth
1995Kiel Baltic HurricanesRüsselsheim Razorbacks
1996Berlin RebelsLandsberg Express
1997Paderborn DolphinsSaarland Hurricanes
1998Berlin RebelsAschaffenburg Stallions
1999Bremen BraveheartsFranken Knights
2000Assindia CardinalsSaarland Hurricanes
2001Berlin AdlerMarburg Mercenaries
2002Dresden MonarchsMarburg Mercenaries
2003Düsseldorf PantherSimbach Wildcats
2004Cologne FalconsMunich Cowboys
2005Kiel Baltic HurricanesDarmstadt Diamonds
2006Kiel Baltic HurricanesWeinheim Longhorns
2007Hamburg EaglesMunich Cowboys
2008Assindia CardinalsPlattling Black Hawks
2009Berlin RebelsFranken Knights
2010Mönchengladbach MavericksSaarland Hurricanes
2011Hamburg Blue DevilsFranken Knights
2012Cologne FalconsAllgäu Comets
2013Bielefeld BulldogsAllgäu Comets
2014Hamburg HuskiesKirchdorf Wildcats
2015Hildesheim InvadersFrankfurt Universe
2016Cologne CrocodilesIngolstadt Dukes
2017Potsdam RoyalsKirchdorf Wildcats
2018Düsseldorf PantherRavensburg Razorbacks
2019Elmshorn Fighting PiratesRavensburg Razorbacks
2021Berlin AdlerStraubing Spiders
2022Paderborn DolphinsIngolstadt Dukes
2023Hildesheim InvadersKirchdorf Wildcats

References

External links