German Football

German Football League is a major defining factor of German identity . Sports had always been an inherent part of German life. Sport associations and clubs are quite regular in the general German localities. Football or Soccer is a more definite passion and there are hundreds of local teams. The German Football League or the GFL was founded in 1979. The highest level of the league is the elite Bundesliga for American Football in Germany. However, there was a tradition of regional leagues even before the Bundesliga, although it was played at a much amateur level.

The German Football League is partitioned into two, the North and the South, with six teams each. A regular season witnesses a total of 12 games. In every “conference” each team plays against a member of the same conference. Each team also has to play two inter-conference games. This is followed by the final which is called the “German Bowl” .Four teams from each of the conference enter the “playoffs” and finally the German Championship is determined.

In the year 2007 the 12 German Football League teams where:

NORTH

• Berlin Adler
• Hamburg Blue Devils
• Kiel Baltic Hurricanes
• Dresden Monarchs
• Cologne Falcons
• Braunschweig Lions

SOUTH

• Schwabisch Hall Unicorns
• Marburg Mercenaries
• Darmstadt Diamonds
• Weinheim
• Stuttgart Scorpions
• Saarland Hurricanes

The German Football League is a very prestigious tournament and is a major attraction for many people. Bundesliga or the Federal League is the highest level of Club competition and is a major crowd attractor. In 2006 Braunschweig Lions emerged victorious by defeating the Marburg Mercenaries.