Bavarian Football Association
Encyclopedia
The Bavarian Football Association , the BFV, is one of 21 regional organisations of the German Football Association
, the DFB, and covers the state of Bavaria
. It was formed as an independent association on 4 February 1949 but its origins date back to 1945.
The Bavarian FA is also part of the Southern German Football Federation, the SFV, one of five regional federations in Germany
. The other members of the SFV are the football associations of Baden
, Hesse
, South Baden and Württemberg. It is the largest of the five regional federations and based in Munich
.
In 2011, the BFV had 1,469,351 members, 4,665 member clubs and 29,291 teams playing in its league system, making it the largest of the 21 regional associations in Germany. Because of its status, Bavaria is awarded an extra entry to the first round of the German Cup.
, then under the name of Verband Süddeutscher Fussball-Vereine. The new federation soon began to organise a regional football competition, the Southern German football championship
, followed by a league system a few years later.
In November 1927, the federation merged with the Southern German track and field association, forming a much enlarged federation, the Süddeutscher Fussball- und Leichtathletik-Verband - SFLV.
With the rise of the Nazis to power in 1933, the federation received the order from Berlin
to disband itself in March 1933. On 6 August 1933, the SFLV held its last general meeting, in Stuttgart
, where the order to disband was officially carried out. The financial liquidation of the federation was completed in 1942.
The situation soon deteriorated into conflict as, in September 1945, a regional football league was established, the Oberliga Süd, which was made up of 16 of the foremost football clubs of Southern Germany. The organisers of this competition had also received the permission to reestablish the SFV from the US authorities. Below the Oberliga, the not yet officially reestablished SFV degreed that Landesligas were to be established for each of the states.
On 4 November 1945, the new Oberliga played its first round, having forced Munich's biggest clubs, FC Bayern
and TSV 1860
to break their promise to take part in a Munich football championship. As a consequence, the two clubs were expelled from the BLSV in September 1945. To alleviate the friction between the BLSV and the Bavarian football clubs, Hans Huber, later chairman of the BFV, was placed in charge of the football department of the BLSV and readmitted Bayern and 1860 to the association.
Cofronted with accusations that the football department did not stand up enough to the BLSV, the former eventually took the step of establishing itself as an independent organisation and became the Bayerischer Fussball-Verband on 4 February 1945. Additionally, on 19 December 1949, the Southern German Football Federation was officially reestablished. To alleviate any friction between the Southern German and the state association, the state associations became a member of the SFV but the football clubs remained members of their state associations only, not the SFV. The SFV had the responsibility to organise the Oberliga and the new 2nd Oberliga, all other leagues were part of their state associations.
The BVF in turn was organised in seven regional federations, the Bezirke, those being Middle-, Upper- and Lower Franconia, Upper- and Lower Bavaria, Swabia and the Upper Palatinate.
.
in some regions.
The Bavarian Cup is the premier cup competition in Bavaria, held in a male and female edition.
The top-level leagues in Bavaria in 2011-12 are:
, the SV Kleinwalsertal, which plays in the B-Klasse Allgäu 6 in 2011-12.
A number of Bavarian clubs have opted to play in the league systems of neighboring states for geographical reasons. Viktoria Aschaffenburg
and FC Bayern Alzenau
play in the league system of Hesse. Viktoria's junior teams still play in the Bavarian league system and only the senior side plays in Hesse. A number of clubs from the border region to Württemberg
, along the river Iller
, play in the Württemberg league system, the most successful of those being SpVgg Au/Iller
, FV Illertissen
and the SpVgg Lindau
.
All up, 75 clubs from the Bavarian region of Swabia play in the Württemberg league system, 45 of those in the Donau/Iller region, the remainder spread over other border regions of the WFV. In late 2010, the idea was floated that those clubs could be forced to return to the Bavarian league system but this idea was dropped again.
The BFV categorises players in three groups, amateurs, contracted players and licenced players. The Bavarian FA's definition of an amamteur is a player who is not paid for its participation in a game and receives no more than € 249,99 per month in compensations. It also sub-divides professionals in contracted players and licenced players. A contracted player is a player who is a member of a club who also receives payments in excess of € 250 while a licenced player is a full professional.
The BFV clearly defines the season as starting on 1 July of a year and finishing on 30 June the following year. It prohibits matches to be played in January, unless they are held indoors.
Every club competing in the league system must have a certain number of junior teams, depending on which league they play in, with the clubs in the Landesliga and Bayernliga having to have the most, three. Every club must also provide one referee per senior team it fields.
The BFV stipulates that leagues on the fourth to sixth tier of the league system have to have a nominal strength of 18 teams, leagues below of 16 teams, also this can fluctuate with promotion and relegation. It also dictates a specific league name for every tier. Up to the Kreisklasse, the fourth-lowest tier, first and second teams can play at the same level, but not in the same league.
Unlike most other football associations in Germany, Bavaria does not use the goal difference to determine league positions if two or more teams are on equal points on a rank of importance in the final standings. Should two or more teams be on equal points when a championship, promotion or relegation rank is considered, the teams will have to play deciders. However, this rule is temporarily out of force in 2011-12 because of the large number of deciders already required to determine the make up of the future league system after 2012 with its major changes.
All league champions within the Bavarian league system have the right for direct promotion. Should a club decline promotion, the right gets past on to the next-placed team, to a maximum of the fourth placed side in the final standings.
Should a club declare insolvency during a season it's first team will be automatically relegated to the next league below. Reserve teams or youth side are not affected by this but should it have a women's team in a league higher than the men's team, the women's team would be relegated instead.
Should a player compete for a professional team of a club, he or she can not be used in the reserve team for up to 10 days. This rule however does not apply for Under-23 players, which is why many reserve sides of professional clubs play as Under-23 sides.
In the Kreisligas and below, substituted players can be reused during a game. This is not possible in leagues above this level.
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, the DFB, and covers the state of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. It was formed as an independent association on 4 February 1949 but its origins date back to 1945.
The Bavarian FA is also part of the Southern German Football Federation, the SFV, one of five regional federations in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The other members of the SFV are the football associations of Baden
Baden Football Association
The Baden Football Association , the BFV, is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the DFB, and covers the north-western part of the state of Baden-Württemberg....
, Hesse
Hessian Football Association
The Hessian Football Association , the HFV, is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the DFB, and covers the state of Hesse....
, South Baden and Württemberg. It is the largest of the five regional federations and based in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
In 2011, the BFV had 1,469,351 members, 4,665 member clubs and 29,291 teams playing in its league system, making it the largest of the 21 regional associations in Germany. Because of its status, Bavaria is awarded an extra entry to the first round of the German Cup.
Pre-BFV history
Football in Southern Germany, and thereby in Bavaria was originally administrated by the Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband, which was formed on 17 October 1897 in KarlsruheKarlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, then under the name of Verband Süddeutscher Fussball-Vereine. The new federation soon began to organise a regional football competition, the Southern German football championship
Southern German football championship
The Southern German football championship was the highest association football competition in the South of Germany, established in 1898...
, followed by a league system a few years later.
In November 1927, the federation merged with the Southern German track and field association, forming a much enlarged federation, the Süddeutscher Fussball- und Leichtathletik-Verband - SFLV.
With the rise of the Nazis to power in 1933, the federation received the order from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to disband itself in March 1933. On 6 August 1933, the SFLV held its last general meeting, in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, where the order to disband was officially carried out. The financial liquidation of the federation was completed in 1942.
The BFV
Post-Second World War Germany saw Bavaria become part of the US occupation zone. As travel within the occupation zone was restricted, the reestablishing of a Southern German federation seemed initially impossible. Instead, on 18 July 1945, a Bavarian State Sports Association. the BLSV, was established and officially sanctioned by the US authorities a year later. This new association was not exclusively popular, as it was seen by former members of the SFLV as an obstacle to reestablish the later.The situation soon deteriorated into conflict as, in September 1945, a regional football league was established, the Oberliga Süd, which was made up of 16 of the foremost football clubs of Southern Germany. The organisers of this competition had also received the permission to reestablish the SFV from the US authorities. Below the Oberliga, the not yet officially reestablished SFV degreed that Landesligas were to be established for each of the states.
On 4 November 1945, the new Oberliga played its first round, having forced Munich's biggest clubs, FC Bayern
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
and TSV 1860
TSV 1860 München
Turn- und Sportverein München von 1860, commonly known as TSV 1860 München or 1860 Munich, is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003–04 season...
to break their promise to take part in a Munich football championship. As a consequence, the two clubs were expelled from the BLSV in September 1945. To alleviate the friction between the BLSV and the Bavarian football clubs, Hans Huber, later chairman of the BFV, was placed in charge of the football department of the BLSV and readmitted Bayern and 1860 to the association.
Cofronted with accusations that the football department did not stand up enough to the BLSV, the former eventually took the step of establishing itself as an independent organisation and became the Bayerischer Fussball-Verband on 4 February 1945. Additionally, on 19 December 1949, the Southern German Football Federation was officially reestablished. To alleviate any friction between the Southern German and the state association, the state associations became a member of the SFV but the football clubs remained members of their state associations only, not the SFV. The SFV had the responsibility to organise the Oberliga and the new 2nd Oberliga, all other leagues were part of their state associations.
The BVF in turn was organised in seven regional federations, the Bezirke, those being Middle-, Upper- and Lower Franconia, Upper- and Lower Bavaria, Swabia and the Upper Palatinate.
Member statistics
As of 2011, the BFV has 1,469,351 members, making it by far the biggest regional association in Germany, with Westphalia coming a distant second with 852,955 members. In 2011, the BFV had 4,665 member clubs and 29,291 football teams played within its league systemBavarian football league system
The Bavarian football league system of the Bavarian Football Association ranks within the German football league system. Its highest division, the Fussball-Bayernliga, is currently the 5th tier of German football. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the 4th tier of the league system...
.
Leagues
The Bavarian league system consists of senior men's, women's and male and female junior leagues as well as cup competitions. It organises state wide leagues, the Bayernliga, in men's, women's, Under 19, 17 and 15 boys and Under 17 girls competitions. Below these, regional leagues are set, the Landesligas, followed by a league pyramid that extends as far as the 13th tier of the German football league systemGerman football league system
The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...
in some regions.
The Bavarian Cup is the premier cup competition in Bavaria, held in a male and female edition.
The top-level leagues in Bavaria in 2011-12 are:
| Group | League | Tier |
| Men | Fussball-Bayernliga | V |
| Women | Women's Fussball-Bayernliga | IV |
| Under 19 boys | Under 19 Bayernliga Under 19 Bayernliga The Under 19 Fußball-Bayernliga is the second tier of under 19 youth football in Bavaria, set below the Under 19 Bundesliga South/Southwest.... |
II |
| Under 17 boys | Under 17 Bayernliga Under 17 Bayernliga The Under 17 Fußball-Bayernliga is the second tier of under 17 youth football in Bavaria, set below the Under 17 Bundesliga South/Southwest.... |
II |
| Under 17 girls | Girls Under 17 Bayernliga | I |
| Under 15 boys | Under 15 Bayernliga 1 | II |
| Under 15 girls | Girls Under 17 Bezirksoberliga 2 | I |
| Under 13 boys | Under 13 Bezirksoberliga | I |
- 1 In two regional divisions.
- 2 Only exists in some regions.
Exiles
Bavaria accommodates one club from AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the SV Kleinwalsertal, which plays in the B-Klasse Allgäu 6 in 2011-12.
A number of Bavarian clubs have opted to play in the league systems of neighboring states for geographical reasons. Viktoria Aschaffenburg
Viktoria Aschaffenburg
SV Viktoria 01 Aschaffenburg is a German football club based in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria.Even though Aschaffenburg is located in Bavaria, Viktoria Aschaffenburg historically played its football in the Hessenliga and the associated Hessian leagues, rather than the Fussball-Bayernliga , against clubs...
and FC Bayern Alzenau
FC Bayern Alzenau
FC Bayern Alzenau is a German football club based in Alzenau, Bavaria.-History:The club was initially formed as Alzenauer Fußball Club and joined gymnastics club Turn- und Sport Alzenau as that club's football department on 16 September 1922 before again becoming independent in 1923 as FC Bayern...
play in the league system of Hesse. Viktoria's junior teams still play in the Bavarian league system and only the senior side plays in Hesse. A number of clubs from the border region to Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, along the river Iller
Iller
The Iller is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube, 147 km in length.The source is located near Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region of the Alps, close to the Austrian border. From there it runs northwards, passing the towns of Sonthofen, Immenstadt, and Kempten...
, play in the Württemberg league system, the most successful of those being SpVgg Au/Iller
SpVgg Au/Iller
SpVgg Au/Iller is a German football club from the district of Au in the northwest quarter of Illertissen, Bavaria. The team was founded 27 October 1928 as Sportvereinigung Au when Au was still a separate village on the banks of the river Iller.-History:...
, FV Illertissen
FV Illertissen
FV Illertissen is a German association football club from the town of Illertissen, Bavaria and was established in 1921.-History:Although the town of Illertissen is in Bavaria, its proximity to other towns in the neighboring state of Baden-Württemberg has allowed it to participate in that state's...
and the SpVgg Lindau
SpVgg Lindau
The SpVgg Lindau is a German football club from Lindau, Bavaria.-Overview:The club was formed on 1 August 1919 as the football department of the TSV 1850 Lindau under the leadership of Sosthenes Sailer and its first chairman Goldbrunner. The new club was put into the A-Klasse Gau Oberschwaben,...
.
All up, 75 clubs from the Bavarian region of Swabia play in the Württemberg league system, 45 of those in the Donau/Iller region, the remainder spread over other border regions of the WFV. In late 2010, the idea was floated that those clubs could be forced to return to the Bavarian league system but this idea was dropped again.
Rules
The rules of the game in Bavaria, the Spielordnung, has a number of special clauses that, at times, differ from the standard frame work of the DFB.The BFV categorises players in three groups, amateurs, contracted players and licenced players. The Bavarian FA's definition of an amamteur is a player who is not paid for its participation in a game and receives no more than € 249,99 per month in compensations. It also sub-divides professionals in contracted players and licenced players. A contracted player is a player who is a member of a club who also receives payments in excess of € 250 while a licenced player is a full professional.
The BFV clearly defines the season as starting on 1 July of a year and finishing on 30 June the following year. It prohibits matches to be played in January, unless they are held indoors.
Every club competing in the league system must have a certain number of junior teams, depending on which league they play in, with the clubs in the Landesliga and Bayernliga having to have the most, three. Every club must also provide one referee per senior team it fields.
The BFV stipulates that leagues on the fourth to sixth tier of the league system have to have a nominal strength of 18 teams, leagues below of 16 teams, also this can fluctuate with promotion and relegation. It also dictates a specific league name for every tier. Up to the Kreisklasse, the fourth-lowest tier, first and second teams can play at the same level, but not in the same league.
Unlike most other football associations in Germany, Bavaria does not use the goal difference to determine league positions if two or more teams are on equal points on a rank of importance in the final standings. Should two or more teams be on equal points when a championship, promotion or relegation rank is considered, the teams will have to play deciders. However, this rule is temporarily out of force in 2011-12 because of the large number of deciders already required to determine the make up of the future league system after 2012 with its major changes.
All league champions within the Bavarian league system have the right for direct promotion. Should a club decline promotion, the right gets past on to the next-placed team, to a maximum of the fourth placed side in the final standings.
Should a club declare insolvency during a season it's first team will be automatically relegated to the next league below. Reserve teams or youth side are not affected by this but should it have a women's team in a league higher than the men's team, the women's team would be relegated instead.
Should a player compete for a professional team of a club, he or she can not be used in the reserve team for up to 10 days. This rule however does not apply for Under-23 players, which is why many reserve sides of professional clubs play as Under-23 sides.
In the Kreisligas and below, substituted players can be reused during a game. This is not possible in leagues above this level.
Sources
- 100 Jahre Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband - SFV, publisher: Vindelica Verlag, published: 1996
- 50 Jahre Bayerischer Fussball-Verband - BFV, publisher: Vindelica Verlag, published: 1995
- Spielordnung BFV website - Rules of the game (June 2011)