German Football League 2
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|
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Country |
 Germany
|
| Most recent champion(s) |
North: Hildesheim Invaders South: Frankfurt Universe |
| Official website | gfl.info |
The German Football League 2 (GFL) is the second tier of American football in Germany, below the German Football League. Until 2007, the league was known as the 2. Bundesliga.
The GFL 2, formerly the 2. Bundesliga, which was formed in 1982, is divided into a northern and southern division, which eight teams in each division. Unlike the GFL, there are no inter conference games and no GFL 2 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. 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 GFL 2, five Regionalligas, Regional Leagues, are set, North, South, West, Central and East. Four teams each are promoted each season from the Regionalliga to the GFL 2. However, additional spots may become available if teams resign from either the GFL or the GFL 2.
Promotion to the GFL 2 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 GFL 2 the champions of the southern and central division of the Regionalliga play the runners-up from the other division with the winners of each contest being promoted. For the northern GFL 2 division the champions of the Regionalliga divisions north, west and east play each other once to determine the two promoted teams.
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.
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.
Promotion to the GFL 2 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 GFL 2 for the following season. In the north the champions Of the Regionalliga divisions North,
The placings in the league since 2000:
The winners of the regional divisions of the GFL:
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