page_title: German football league system
section_title: Bavaria
hierarchical_section_title: German football league system / State association league systems / Southern Germany / Bavaria
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of regional soccer association Bayern, Germany Deutsch: DFB-Landesverband Bayern
context_page_description: The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league system for association football in Germany that in the 2016–17 season consists of 2,235 divisions having 31,645 teams, in which all divisions are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. The top three professional levels contain one division each. Below this, the semi-professional and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. Therefore, in theory, it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become German football champions one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
context_section_description: The Bavarian Football Association league system is the state association league system in the state of Bavaria and starts at level four of the league system with the Regionalliga Bayern on top. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the Regionalliga Nord champions, the Regionalliga Nordost champions, the Regionalliga Südwest champions and runner-up and the Regionalliga West champions for three promotions to the 3. Liga.  The current (2016–17 season) champions are SpVgg Unterhaching.
  Below the state association league system seven county associations and following them 24 district associations work as feeders to the Landesliga. In the 2016–17 season, the full system comprises 442 divisions having 6,054 teams. Additionally, nine teams play above the state association league system: FC Bayern Munich and FC Augsburg (all Bundesliga), SpVgg Greuther Fürth, FC Ingolstadt, SSV Jahn Regensburg and 1. FC Nürnberg (all 2. Bundesliga),  SpVgg Unterhaching, TSV 1860 Munich and Würzburger Kickers (all 3. Liga).
caption: Bavarian Football Association
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