Landesliga Bayern
 |
|
| Country |
 Germany
|
|---|---|
| State |
 Bavaria
|
| Founded | 1945 (as a Level 2 league) 1963 (as a Level 3 league) |
| Divisions | 5 |
| Number of teams | 87 |
| Level on pyramid | Level 6 |
| Promotion to | Bayernliga |
| Relegation to | Bezirksliga |
| Current champions |
(2015–16) |
The Landesliga Bayern sits at step 6 of the German football league system and is the third highest level in the Bavarian football league system, below the Bayernliga and organised in five regional divisions. The current Landesligas were formed in 1963, when the Bundesliga was established. From 2012, when the Regionalliga Bayern was established, the Landesligas were expanded from three to five divisions.
Previous to that, from 1945 to 1950, the Landesliga Bayern existed as a tier-two league below the Oberliga Süd.
From 1945 to 1950, the Bayernliga was called Landesliga Bayern. It was then the second tier of Southern German Football.
The league was established after the Second World War, consisting of nine clubs, with the league winner promoted to the Oberliga Süd. After its first season, 1945–46, it expanded to two divisions, north and south, with eleven clubs each. At the end of season, the two league champions played for the Bavarian title and Oberliga promotion. In 1947-48, each division had 13 clubs.
In its last two seasons, 1948–49 and 1949–50, the league returned to a single division format. In 1948-49, it consisted of 16 clubs with the top two teams earning promotion. In 1949-50, 14 clubs were in the league and the best five teams earned entry to the newly formed 2. Oberliga Süd, which became the second tier in Southern Germany. The remaining nine clubs plus seven promoted teams formed the new Amateurliga Bayern, now the third tier.
Alongside the Landesliga Bayern, four other regional Landesligas existed as the second tier below the Oberliga Süd, these being:
After the interception of the three Landesligas in 1963 the winners of the leagues were automatically promoted to the Bayernliga. The runners-up faced a relegation play-off with the team of the Bayernliga that is placed just above the relegation zone, usually the 15th placed team unless the league held more or less than the desired number of 18 teams, for a final promotion spot. Since the start of the promotion play-offs in 1981, Landesliga Süd had won the extra spot 17 times, Landesliga Mitte 8 times and Landesliga Nord only 5 times. In 1985, 1994, 1996 and 2003 additional spots were available on top of the usual four.
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