- Playoffs
Division teams #1–#4 play in the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals
The championship game to determine the GFL champion, which is played at a neutral site.
Played as a two game series between GFL North and South bottom teams versus the GFL 2 Division champions.
Playoffs explained
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.
Playoff Rounds
| SEASON | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Quarter-Finals | ||
 Potsdam Royals |
84-20 |  Allgäu Comets |
|
 New Yorker Lions |
45-14 |  Ravensburg Razorbacks |
|
 Dresden Monarchs |
35-6 |  Straubing Spiders |
|
 Hildesheim Invaders |
31-28 |  Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
|
| Semi-Finals | |||
Potsdam Royals |
25-6 | New Yorker Lions |
|
Dresden Monarchs |
27-13 | Hildesheim Invaders |
|
| 2025 | Quarter-Finals | ||
Potsdam Royals |
42-25 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
|
 Munich Cowboys |
44-31 |  Berlin Rebels |
|
Ravensburg Razorbacks |
42-22 |  Kiel Baltic Hurricanes |
|
Dresden Monarchs |
41-22 |  Pforzheim Wilddogs |
|
| Semi-Finals | |||
Potsdam Royals |
74-6 | Munich Cowboys |
|
Dresden Monarchs |
31-24 | Ravensburg Razorbacks |
|
GFL Bowl
Prior to 2023, the GFL Championship Game was called the German Bowl.
| SEASON | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER | STADIUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 24 14 October, 2023 |
Potsdam Royals (1) |
34-7 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
 Stadion an der Hafenstraße Essen(4) |
 25 12 October, 2024 |
Potsdam Royals (2) |
27-21 | Dresden Monarchs |
|
 26 11 October, 2025 |
Potsdam Royals (3) |
33-23 | Dresden Monarchs |
 Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion DRESDEN(2) |
 27 3 October, 2026 |
German Bowl Results (1979-2022)
| SEASON | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER | STADIUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 10 November, 1979 |
 Frankfurter Löwen (1) |
14-80 |  Ansbach Grizzlies |
Frankfurt(2) |
| II 30 JULY, 1980 |
Frankfurter Löwen (2) |
21-12 | Ansbach Grizzlies |
|
| III 5 August, 1981 |
Ansbach Grizzlies (1) |
27-60 | Frankfurter Löwen |
Cologne(1) |
| IV 2 November, 1982 |
Ansbach Grizzlies (2) |
12-60 |  Cologne Crocodiles |
Essen(1) |
| V 25 September, 1983 |
 Düsseldorf Panther (1) |
22-70 | Ansbach Grizzlies |
Nuremberg(1) |
| VI 25 September, 1984 |
Düsseldorf Panther (2) |
27-13 | Ansbach Grizzlies |
Essen(2) |
| VII 12 November, 1985 |
Ansbach Grizzlies (3) |
14-70 | Düsseldorf Panther |
Cologne(2) |
| VIII 27 JULY, 1986 |
Düsseldorf Panther (3) |
27-14 | Ansbach Grizzlies |
Würzburg(1) |
| IX 11 October, 1987 |
 Berlin Adler (1) |
37-12 | Badener Greifs |
Berlin(2) |
| X 19 October, 1988 |
Cologne Red Barons (1) |
25-20 | Düsseldorf Panther |
|
| XI 21 October, 1989 |
Berlin Adler (2) |
30-23 | Cologne Red Barons |
Nuremberg(2) |
| XII 20 October, 1990 |
Berlin Adler (3) |
50-38 | Cologne Crocodiles |
Düsseldorf(1) |
| XIII 5 October, 1991 |
Berlin Adler (4) |
22-21 | Cologne Crocodiles |
Hamburg(1) |
| XIV 3 October, 1992 |
Düsseldorf Panther (4) |
24-23 | Munich Cowboys |
HaNovemberer(1) |
| XV 25 September, 1993 |
Munich Cowboys (1) |
42-36 | Cologne Crocodiles |
Munich(1) |
| XVI 17 September, 1994 |
Düsseldorf Panther (5) |
27-17 | Berlin Adler |
Hanau(1) |
| XVII 16 September, 1995 |
Düsseldorf Panther (6) |
17-10 |  Hamburg Blue Devils |
Braunschweig(1) |
| XVIII 5 October, 1996 |
Hamburg Blue Devils (1) |
31-12 | Düsseldorf Panther |
Hamburg(5) |
| XIX 4 October,1997 |
Braunschweig Lions (1) |
26-23 | Cologne Crocodiles |
|
| XX 3 October, 1998 |
Braunschweig Lions (2) |
20-14 | Hamburg Blue Devils |
|
| XXI 9 October, 1999 |
Braunschweig Lions (3) |
25-24 | Hamburg Blue Devils |
|
| XXII 7 October, 2000 |
Cologne Crocodiles (1) |
31-29 | Braunschweig Lions |
Braunschweig(2) |
| XXIII 6 October, 2001 |
Hamburg Blue Devils (2) |
31-13 | Braunschweig Lions |
HaNovemberer(2) |
| XXIV 12 October, 2002 |
Hamburg Blue Devils (3) |
16-13 | Braunschweig Lions |
Braunschweig(3) |
| XXV 11 October, 2003 |
Hamburg Blue Devils (4) |
37-36 | Braunschweig Lions |
Wolfsburg(1) |
| XXVI 9 October, 2004 |
Berlin Adler (5) |
10-70 | Braunschweig Lions |
Braunschweig(4) |
| XXVII 8 October, 2005 |
Braunschweig Lions (4) |
31-28 | Hamburg Blue Devils |
HaNovemberer(3) |
| XXVIII 7 October, 2006 |
Braunschweig Lions (5) |
31-13 |  Marburg Mercenaries |
Braunschweig(5) |
| XXIX 6 October, 2007 |
Braunschweig Lions (6) |
27-60 |  Stuttgart Scorpions |
Stuttgart(1) |
| XXX 29 September, 2008 |
Braunschweig Lions (7) |
20-14 | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes |
 Waldstadion FRANKFURT(5) |
| XXXI 3 October, 2009 |
Berlin Adler (6) |
28-21 | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes |
|
| XXXII 9 October, 2010 |
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (1) |
17-10 | Berlin Adler |
|
 XXXIII October 8, 2011 |
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (1) |
48-44 | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes |
Magdeburg(1) |
 XXXIV 13 October, 2012 October 13 |
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (2) |
56-53 | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes |
 Friedrich-Ludwig Jahn-Sportpark Berlin(9) |
 XXXV 12 October, 2013 October 12 |
New Yorker Lions (8) |
35-34 | Dresden Monarchs |
|
 XXXVI 11 October, 2014 October 11 |
New Yorker Lions (9) |
47-90 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
|
 XXXVII 10 October, 2015 October 10 |
New Yorker Lions (10) |
41-31 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
|
 XXXVIII 8 October, 2016 |
New Yorker Lions (11) |
31-20 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
|
 XXXIX 7 October, 2017 |
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (3) |
14-13 | New Yorker Lions |
|
 XL 13 October, 2018 |
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (4) |
21-19 |  Frankfurt Universe |
|
 XLI 12 October, 2019 |
New Yorker Lions (12) |
10-70 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
Waldstadion FRANKFURT(6) |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
 XLII 9 October, 2021 |
Dresden Monarchs (1) |
28-19 | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
Waldstadion FRANKFURT(8) |
 XLIII 8 October, 2022 |
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (5) |
44-27 | Potsdam Royals |
|
Standings
| Team | REC | A | RT | RA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Yorker Lions | 12-6 | 18 | 2019 | 2019 |
| Dusseldorf Panther | 6-3 | 9 | 1995 | 1996 |
| Berlin Adler | 6-2 | 8 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Schwabisch Hall Unicorns | 5-6 | 11 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Hamburg Blue Devils | 4-4 | 8 | 2003 | 2005 |
| Potsdam Royals | 3-1 | 4 | 2025 | 2025 |
| Ansbach Grizzlies | 3-5 | 8 | 1985 | 1986 |
| Frankfurter Lowen | 2-1 | 8 | 1980 | 1981 |
| Cologne Crocodiles | 1-5 | 6 | 2000 | 2000 |
|
Cologne Red Barons | 1-1 | 2 | 1988 | 1989 |
| Dresden Monarchs | 1-3 | 4 | 2021 | 2025 |
| Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | 1-4 | 6 | 2010 | 2012 |
| Munich Cowboys | 1-1 | 2 | 1993 | 1993 |
|
Badener Greifs | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 1987 |
|
Frankfurt Universe | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 2018 |
|
Marburg Mercenaries | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 2006 |
| Stuttgart Scorpions | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 2007 |
LEGEND
Playoffs explained
The German Football League Playoffs determine the national champion through a single-elimination bracket featuring the top four teams from each conference (GFL North and GFL South). Teams qualify based on their regular-season standings within their own conference.
Number of Teams
- Total teams: 8
- From GFL North: Top 4 teams
- From GFL South: Top 4 teams
- Seeding: Teams are seeded 1–4 within each conference based on regular-season record.
Seeding & Home Field
- Conference-based seeding: North and South are seeded separately (1–4 each).
- Home field: The higher-seeded team hosts in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals.
Bracket Structure
Quarterfinals
Cross-conference matchups:
- 1 North vs 4 South
- 1 South vs 4 North
- 2 North vs 3 South
- 2 South vs 3 North
Winners advance to the Semifinals.
Semifinals
- Participants: Four Quarterfinal winners.
- Pairings: Based on original seeding; teams from the same conference may meet again.
- Home field: Higher original seed hosts.
GFL Bowl
- Participants: Winners of the Semifinals.
- Format: Single championship game.
- Venue: Neutral site selected by the league.
Relegation / Playdowns
Relegation games are not part of the championship bracket but are played in the same postseason window.
- Participants: Bottom-ranked GFL team(s) per division, as defined by current league rules in a single playoff with the winner staying in the GFL and the loser being relegated and replaced by the GFL2 Champion.