German Football League 2

German Football League 2

Current season, competition or edition: 2023 German Football League
Sport	American football
Founded	1982;42 years ago (1982)
Administrator	AFVD
No. of teams	16
Country	Germany
Most recent champion(s)	North: Berlin Adler South: Straubing Spiders
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]

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

Cardinals

Huskies

Invaders

Longhorns

Cougars

Dolphins

Griffins

Paladins

Sentinels

Pirates

Razorbacks

Golden Dragons

Dukes

Wildcats

Scorpions

Phantoms

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Location of teams in the German Football League 2 in 2022

GFL2 North

Team	City	State
Düsseldorf Panther	Düsseldorf	North Rhine-Westphalia
Hildesheim Invaders	Hildesheim	Lower Saxony
Langenfeld Longhorns	Langenfeld	North Rhine-Westphalia
Lübeck Cougars	Lübeck	Schleswig-Holstein
Münster Blackhawks	Münster	North Rhine-Westphalia
Oldenburg Knights	Oldenburg	Lower Saxony
Rostock Griffins	Rostock	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Solingen Paladins	Solingen	North Rhine-Westphalia

GFL2 South

Team	City	State
Bad Homburg Sentinels	Bad Homburg vor der Höhe	Hesse
Frankfurt Universe	Frankfurt	Hesse
Fursty Razorbacks	Fürstenfeldbruck	Bavaria
Gießen Golden Dragons	Gießen	Hesse
Kirchdorf Wildcats	Kirchdorf am Inn	Bavaria
Pforzheim Wilddogs	Pforzheim	Baden-Württemberg
Regensburg Phoenix	Regensburg	Bavaria
Stuttgart Scorpions	Stuttgart	Baden-Württemberg

GFL2 season placings

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

North

GFL2 North	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
New Yorker Lions	GFL
Dresden Monarchs	4	2	1	GFL
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	GFL				2	1	1	GFL
Berlin Rebels						2	5	5	6	1	GFL	2	GFL
Potsdam Royals																5	3	1	GFL
Berlin Adler	3	1	GFL																8		*	1	GFL
Paderborn Dolphins																3	2	5	7				1	GFL
Hildesheim Invaders	7									8			7		5	1	GFL						3	1	GFL
Düsseldorf Panther	GFL			1	GFL			4	4	5	2	GFL						2	1	GFL	*	2	GFL	2	*
Rostock Griffins														8				3	4	3	*	4	5	3	*
Langenfeld Longhorns		5	3	5	6	3	4	2	3	4	3							4	5	4	*	3	2	4	*
Lübeck Cougars			4	3	3	6	6	3	5	3	5	3	GFL	5	2	2	4	6	6	2	*	6	4	5	*
Oldenburg Knights																								6	*
Bielefeld Bulldogs					8									1	4	7	7								*
Cottbus Crayfish													2	7											*
Hamburg Pioneers																									*
Cologne Crocodiles	GFL														3	4	1	GFL
Münster Blackhawks																								7
Solingen Paladins																			2	5	*	5	6	8
Assindia Cardinals	1	GFL			7		7		1	GFL			8				6	8			*	8	7
Hamburg Huskies 1	2	4	6	4	5	4	2	1	2	7			4	3	1	GFL				6	*	7	8
Elmshorn Fighting Pirates															8	8			3	1	GFL
Hannover Spartans																				7
Troisdorf Jets		7					3	6	8			4	3	2	7					8
Bonn Gamecocks									7	6	7		6	4	6	6	5	7
Ritterhude Badgers																	8
Cologne Falcons					1	GFL				2	6	6	1	GFL
Hamburg Blue Devils	GFL											1	GFL
Osnabrück Tigers													5	6
Mönchengladbach Mavericks											1	GFL
Magdeburg Virgin Guards		6	5								4	5
Recklinghausen Chargers											8
Frankfurt Red Cocks								7
Weyhe Vikings					4	7		8
Hannover Musketeers			2	2	GFL	5
Bochum Cadets	6					8
Dortmund Giants	5	3

• 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 South	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	2	GFL
Munich Cowboys	GFL				1	GFL		1	GFL
Allgäu Comets		3	3	3	6								1	1	GFL
Ravensburg Razorbacks														4	6		5	2	1	1	GFL
Saarland Hurricanes	1	GFL							5	4	1	GFL							2	2	*	GFL
Straubing Spiders	6	6	8																3	3	*	1	GFL
Ingolstadt Dukes																2	1	GFL					1	GFL
Kirchdorf Wildcats 1				1	2	5	5	6	6			5	6	5	1	3	2	1	GFL		*	3	2	1	GFL
Fursty Razorbacks			2	7														7			*	2	5	2	*
Regensburg Phoenix																								3	*
Pforzheim Wilddogs																								4	*
Gießen Golden Dragons																	6	4	6	7			4	5	*
Albershausen Crusaders																		6	7						*
Montabaur Fighting Farmers									4	7									8						*
Frankfurt Universe													2	2	3	1	GFL							6	w
Marburg Mercenaries	3	1	1	GFL
Bad Homburg Sentinels																						4	3	7
Stuttgart Scorpions	GFL																						6	8
Wiesbaden Phantoms					4	2	2	4	3	2	2	GFL			2	5	3	5	5	5	*	5	7
Frankfurt Pirates												6	5	6	8						*	6	8
Biberach Beavers																				4	*
Darmstadt Diamonds	4	2	6	2	3	1	GFL			3	5	4	8		7	7				6	*
Nürnberg Rams													4	3	4	4	4	3	4
Rhein Neckar Bandits										5	4	2	GFL
Franken Knights	GFL					4	4	2	2	1	3	1	GFL				7
München Rangers																8	8
Holzgerlingen Twister											6	3	7		5	6
Starnberg Argonauts														7
Kaiserslautern Pikes										6	8		3	8
Plattling Black Hawks							3	3	1	GFL
Badener Greifs	7											7
Weinheim Longhorns						3	1	GFL				8
Hanau Hornets	8			5	5	6	6	8			7
Stuttgart Silver Arrows						7			7	8
Königsbrunn Ants						8	7	5	8
Aschaffenburg Stallions	GFL							7
Jena Hanfrieds							8
Franken Timberwolves	5	5	4	6	7
Rhein Main Razorbacks	GFL
Mainz Golden Eagles			5	4
Rottenburg Red Knights		4	7
Landsberg Express	GFL

• 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 GFL

Divisional champion

Divisional champions

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

Year	North	Central	South
1982	Hamburg Dolphins	Red Barons Cologne	Noris Rams
1983	Bonn Jets	Mannheim Redskins	Kempten Comets
1984	Dortmund Giants	Mainz Golden Eagles	Kempten Comets
1985	Cologne Crocodiles II	Stuttgart Scorpions	Rothenburg Knights

Year	North	West	Central	South
1986	Hildesheim Invaders	Recklinghausen Chargers	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	München Rangers
1987	Bremerhaven Seahawks	Ratingen Raiders	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	Würzburg Pumas
1988	Bremen Buccaneers	Recklinghausen Chargers	Rüsselsheim Crusaders	Königsbrunn Ants
1989	Hildesheim Invaders	Recklinghausen Chargers	Darmstadt Diamonds	Fürth Buffalos
1990	Hamburg Silver Eagles	Cologne Bears	Stuttgart Scorpions	Regensburg Royals
1991	Berlin Rebels	Cologne Bears	Stuttgart Scorpions	Regensburg Royals
1992	Hamburg Silver Eagles	Solingen Hurricanes	Hanau Hawks	Rothenburg Knights
1993	Braunschweig Lions	Cologne Bears	Frankfurt Gamblers	Erding Bulls
1994	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	Tecklenburg Silverbacks	Stuttgart Scorpions	Simbach Wildcats

Year	North	South
1995	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	Rüsselsheim Razorbacks
1996	Berlin Rebels	Landsberg Express
1997	Paderborn Dolphins	Saarland Hurricanes
1998	Berlin Rebels	Aschaffenburg Stallions
1999	Bremen Bravehearts	Franken 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
2005	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	Darmstadt Diamonds
2006	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	Weinheim Longhorns
2007	Hamburg Eagles	Munich Cowboys
2008	Assindia Cardinals	Plattling Black Hawks
2009	Berlin Rebels	Franken Knights
2010	Mönchengladbach Mavericks	Saarland Hurricanes
2011	Hamburg Blue Devils	Franken Knights
2012	Cologne Falcons	Allgäu Comets
2013	Bielefeld Bulldogs	Allgäu Comets
2014	Hamburg Huskies	Kirchdorf Wildcats
2015	Hildesheim Invaders	Frankfurt Universe
2016	Cologne Crocodiles	Ingolstadt Dukes
2017	Potsdam Royals	Kirchdorf Wildcats
2018	Düsseldorf Panther	Ravensburg Razorbacks
2019	Elmshorn Fighting Pirates	Ravensburg Razorbacks
2021	Berlin Adler	Straubing Spiders
2022	Paderborn Dolphins	Ingolstadt Dukes
2023	Hildesheim Invaders	Kirchdorf Wildcats

References

1. German Football League 2 Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine (in German) AFVD website, accessed: 20 January 2011
2. Football History (in German) Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 2 January 2010
3. Spielplan der GFL für 2011 steht (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

External links

• (in German) German Football League official website
• (in German) German American Football Association website
• (in German) Football History Historic American football tables from Germany