GFL
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German Football League (GFL) is a professional American football league in Germany. The league was formed in 1979. In 1999, the league changed to its current name from American-Football-Bundesliga. It follows the rules based on American NCAA/College Football rules.
Due to the fact that the German American Football leagues are divided into the GFL, GFL2, various regional leagues and use promotion and relegation to decide its teams each season, these are not included as it is often difficult to find information about the helmets for the newer teams. Top 4 per division qualify for the GFL Playoffs and play inter-divisional playoff games.
Leagues
German Football League (GFL)
GFL Bowl
German Football League (GFL) is divided into the north and south conferences, each with eight teams, although this can change if teams withdraw from the league. For 2026, the league is made up of an uneven 15 teams which includes 7 in the North Division, who play extra games, and 8 in the South Division.
Regular Season
In each division, every team plays against every other team of its own division, both at home and away. Until 2011, each team also played home and away interdivision games against the team from the opposing division that finished the previous season on the same rank. However, this was abandoned with the league expansion to 16 teams.
Playoffs
After the end of the regular season, four teams from both conferences enter the playoffs, to determine the German championship. The winner of a conference plays against the 4th place team of the other group, second against third of the other conference. Better placed teams enjoy home field advantage in the playoffs (regardless of record) – the seeding ensures that two teams that finished on the same rank in their division can only meet in the (neutral site) final. The final is called the GFL Bowl (previously called the German Bowl 1979-2022). The lowest ranked team of each conference plays a home and away series against the winner of the second division, and may be relegated if they lose. In case one or several teams withdraw from the GFL, relegation is forgone, more teams are promoted or other measures are taken to "fill up" the divisions.
Promotion and relegation
Below the GFL sits the GFL2, formerly the 2nd Bundesliga, which was formed in 1982. It is also divided into a northern and southern division, with eight teams in each. For the 2011 season, both the northern and the southern champions are promoted, while the runners-up of the two divisions will play the last placed team in the GFL division above for another spot in the league in 2012. There are various regional leagues below the GFL2 with eight tiers in total in some areas. A newly founded team must start out at the bottom of the league pyramid, just as in soccer, even though there have been rare exceptions, including the Hamburg Blue Devils.
German Football League 2 (GFL2)
GFL2 Bowl
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.
The GFL2, formerly the 2. Bundesliga, which was formed in 1982, is divided into a northern and southern division, with eight teams in each division. Unlike the GFL, there are no inter-division games but the GFL2 champion. gets automatic promotion. The final is called the GFL2 Bowl (no champion crowned prior to 2026).