page_title: Bundesliga
section_title: Competition format
hierarchical_section_title: Bundesliga / Competition format
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Eljero Elia und Son Heung-min im Zweikampf beim Spiel zwischen Werder Bremen und dem Hamburger SV in der Saison 2012/13.
context_page_description: The Bundesliga, sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga or 1. Bundesliga, is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary football competition. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga. Seasons run from August to May. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played on weekdays. All of the Bundesliga clubs qualify for the DFB-Pokal. The winner of the Bundesliga qualifies for the DFL-Supercup.
  Fifty-six clubs have competed in the Bundesliga since its founding. Bayern Munich has won the Bundesliga the most, winning the title 29 times. However, the Bundesliga has seen other champions with Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and VfB Stuttgart most prominent among them. The Bundesliga is one of the top national leagues, ranked third in Europe according to UEFA's league coefficient ranking for the 2019–20 season, based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons.
context_section_description: The German football champion is decided strictly by play in the Bundesliga. Each club plays every other club once at home and once away. Originally, a victory was worth two points, with one point for a draw and none for a loss. Since the 1995–96 season, a victory has been worth three points, while a draw remains worth a single point, and zero points are given for a loss. The club with the most points at the end of the season becomes German champion. Currently, the top four clubs in the table qualify automatically for the group phase of the UEFA Champions League. The two teams at the bottom of the table are relegated into the 2. Bundesliga, while the top two teams in the 2. Bundesliga are promoted. The 16th-placed team (third-last), and the third-placed team in the 2. Bundesliga play a two-leg play-off match. The winner of this match plays the next season in the Bundesliga, and the loser in the 2. Bundesliga.
  If teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:
  Goal difference for the entire season
  Total goals scored for the entire season
  Head-to-head results (total points)
  Head-to-head goals scored
  Head-to-head away goals scored
  Total away goals scored for the entire season
  If two clubs are still tied after all of these tie-breakers have been applied, a single match is held at a neutral site to determine the placement. However, this has never been necessary in the history of the Bundesliga.
  In terms of team selection, matchday squads must have no more than five non-EU representatives. Nine substitutes are permitted to be selected, from which three can be used in the duration of the game.
caption: Son Heung-min of Hamburger SV against Eljero Elia of Werder Bremen in the Nordderby
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