3. Liga

The 3. Liga[lower-alpha 1] is a professional association football league and the third division in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga.

This article is about the third-tier national association football league in Germany. For other uses, see 3. Liga (disambiguation).

3. Liga
Founded2008 (2008)
CountryGermany
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams20
Level on pyramid3
Promotion to2. Bundesliga
Relegation to
Domestic cup(s)DFB-Pokal
Current championsBayern Munich II (1st title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsVfL Osnabrück (2 titles)
Current: 2020–21 3. Liga

The modern 3. Liga was formed for the 2008–09 season, replacing the Regionalliga, which had previously served as the third-tier in the country.[1] In Germany, the 3. Liga is also the highest division that a club's reserve team can play in.

History
For more details on this topic, see History of German football.

In January 2006, the discussion was made about a reorganization of the amateur leagues and the establishment of a single-track "3. Bundesliga". The aim of the reform was to create a great performance density for the substructure of the 2. Bundesliga with better support and development opportunities for talented players. In addition, better marketing of the third division should be achieved. A violent dispute broke out in the run-up to the decision scheduled for September 2006 at the DFB-Bundestag about the participation of second teams in the first and second division. After the U23 teams of the professional clubs were initially not supposed to take part in the newly created league for reasons of distortion of competition and low attendance, several Bundesliga clubs demanded, an unrestricted right to participate. Ultimately, a compromise was worked out that initially only allowed four second substitutes to play in the premier season of the third division.[2]

On 8 September 2006, the introduction of the single-track 3. Liga was finally decided at an extraordinary DFB Bundestag. Half of the clubs from the existing Regionalliga North and South were able to qualify for the premiere season, plus four relegated teams from the 2. Bundesliga. The German Football Association, the DFB, announced the formation of the 3. Liga. It was originally anticipated that the league's name would be 3. Bundesliga, but the DFB chose 3. Liga instead, as the league will be directly administered by the DFB, not by the German Football League DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) who runs both Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.[3] On 10 April 2008, the DFB presented the logo for the new division to the public.[4]

In contrast to the introduction of the 2. Liga in 1974 or the merging of the north and south seasons to form the single-track 2. Bundesliga for the 1981–82 season, there was no multi-year rating when determining the participants for the first season of the new 3. Liga. It was only the performance of the teams in the qualifying period of the Regionalliga relays were athletically qualified for the 3. Liga. In addition, there were four 2. Liga relegated teams in the 2007–08 season. The Regionalliga players who were not qualified for the new division after completing the admission process competed in the new three-pronged fourth division Regionalliga, provided they were granted a license for this.[5]

The first match of the 3. Liga was played on 25 July 2008 between Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Dynamo Dresden at the Steigerwaldstadion in Erfurt. Dynamo Dresden won the match 1–0, with Halil Savran scoring the only goal in the closing stages of the first half. The first goal scorer in the 3. Liga was Halil Savran and the first table leader was SC Paderborn 07. The first champions of the 3. Liga were 1. FC Union Berlin on 9 May 2009, who received the eight-and-a-half-kilogram silver championship trophy.[6]

In the 2018–19 season, four relegated teams were determined for the first time in the history of the 3. Liga,[7] and for the first-time regular Monday games took place.[8] Furthermore, for the first time no U23 team from a higher-class club was able to qualify for the league. With the relegation of the last founding member of the 3. Liga, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, in the preseason, for the first time, no team that been part of the league without interruption took part in the game. In addition, at the beginning of the 2018–19 season, the DFB and Adidas signed a partner contract that would run until the end of the 2021–22 season, according to which the company provides a uniform match ball; in all previous seasons each club had its own ball sponsor. The first ball provided by Adidas for all the clubs was the Telstar 18, which was also used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[9]

For the 2019–20 season, as in the two national leagues, warnings for club officials were introduced in the form of cards. On the 13th match day, the DFB expanded the regulation by an addition – as with players, club officials are threatened with suspension of more than one game and yellow card suspensions after being sent off after being checked by the competent authority.[10] In view of the global COVID-19 pandemic, gaming operations had to be temporarily suspended after 27 match days on 11 March 2020 and finally completely ceased on 16 March; the measure was initially valid until 30 April 2020.[11][12] On 3 April, the DFB announced extensive changes to the game rules as a result. Among other things, it was possible to carry out seasonal operations beyond 30 June 2020, so the following season was opened later than the planned time. Ultimately, the final game day took place on 4 July 2020. In addition, a possible application to open insolvency proceedings within the 2019–20 season would no longer have resulted in a point deduction, in the following season only three points would be deducted instead of the usual nine; from the 2021–22 season onwards, the usual regulation should apply again.[13] On 21 May, it was decided to resume game operations on 30 May, and the DFB and DFL had worked out a hygiene concept for all three leagues with the help of the "Task Force Sports Medicine/Special Game Operations".[14] In parallel to the two national leagues, the DFB increased the substitutions quota per team from three to five player for the 3. Liga until the end of the season, and the third-highest German division was not allowed be played in front of spectators.[15]

While small numbers of spectators are allowed from the start of the 2020–21 season under certain conditions, it was decided in an internal league survey to limit the substitution contingent to three players again.

3. Liga logo history

Financial situation

From its foundation in 2008 to 2013, the league operated at a financial loss, with a record deficit of €20.9 million in 2012–13. The 2013–14 season saw the league make a profit for the first time, of €4.9 million. The league earned €164.5 million, well behind the two Bundesligas above it, but also well ahead of other professional sports leagues in Germany. The Deutsche Eishockey Liga followed with €106.1 million and the Basketball Bundesliga and Handball-Bundesliga were each around the €90 million mark.[16] This makes it the third-most economically successful professional league in all German sports.[17]

Clubs

Since the establishment of the 3. Liga in 2008, a total of 60 clubs have played in this division. In the 2020–21 season, SC Verl, Türkgücü München and VfB Lübeck were represented in the league for the first time. The last club that has been in the 3. Liga without intrruptin since it was founded in 2008 is FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, which was relegated in 2018. The longest uninterrupted club playing in the league is SV Wehen Wiesbaden, which from 2009 until its promotion to the 2. Liga in 2019, played in the 3. Liga for 10 years and also leads the all-time table. The clubs that have remained the longest at the moment are FC Hansa Rostock and Hallescher FC, which have remained in the division since 2012. the clubs with the currently most – ten- seasons in the 2. Liga are Sv Wehen Wiesbaden and SpVgg Unterhaching.

Members of the 2020–21 3. Liga

Locations of the 2020–21 3. Liga teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Dynamo Dresden Dresden Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion 32,066
MSV Duisburg Duisburg Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena 31,500
Hallescher FC Halle Erdgas Sportpark 15,057
FC Ingolstadt Ingolstadt Audi Sportpark 15,000
1. FC Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern Fritz-Walter-Stadion 49,780
Viktoria Köln Cologne Sportpark Höhenberg 10,001
VfB Lübeck Lübeck Stadion Lohmühle 17,849
1. FC Magdeburg Magdeburg MDCC-Arena 27,500
Waldhof Mannheim Mannheim Carl-Benz-Stadion 25,667
SV Meppen Meppen Hänsch-Arena 16,500
1860 Munich Munich Grünwalder Stadion 15,000
Bayern Munich II Munich Grünwalder Stadion 15,000
Türkgücü München Munich Olympiastadion
Grünwalder Stadion		 69,250
15,000
Hansa Rostock Rostock Ostseestadion 29,000
1. FC Saarbrücken Saarbrücken Ludwigsparkstadion 16,003
KFC Uerdingen Düsseldorf Merkur Spiel-Arena 54,600
SpVgg Unterhaching Unterhaching Sportpark Unterhaching 15,053
SC Verl Paderborn Benteler-Arena 15,000
Wehen Wiesbaden Wiesbaden BRITA-Arena 12,250
FSV Zwickau Zwickau GGZ-Arena Zwickau 10,049

Stadiums 2020–21
Grünwalder Stadion München
Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion Dresden
Carl-Benz-Stadion Mannheim
Ostseestadion Rostock
Lohmühle Lübeck
Fritz-Walter-Stadion Kaiserslautern
ClubStadiumCapacity
KFC UerdingenMerkur Spiel-Arena Düsseldorf54.600
1. FC KaiserslauternFritz-Walter-Stadion49.850
Dynamo DresdenRudolf-Harbig-Stadion32.123
MSV DuisburgSchauinsland-Reisen-Arena31.500
1. FC MagdeburgMDCC-Arena30.098
Hansa RostockOstseestadion29.000
SV Waldhof MannheimCarl-Benz-Stadion24.302
1. FC SaarbrückenLudwigsparkstadion16.003
FC Ingolstadt 04Audi Sportpark15.200
Hallescher FCErdgas Sportpark15.057
SpVgg UnterhachingSportpark Unterhaching15.053
SC VerlBenteler-Arena Paderborn15.000
TSV 1860 MünchenGrünwalder Stadion15.000
FC Bayern München II
SV MeppenHänsch-Arena13.815
Türkgücü MünchenFlyeralarm Arena Würzburg13.090
SV Wehen WiesbadenBrita-Arena12.566
VfB LübeckStadion Lohmühle10.800
FSV ZwickauGGZ-Arena10.134
FC Viktoria KölnSportpark Höhenberg10.001

Structure
Season 3. Liga Champion
2008/09 1. FC Union Berlin
2009/10 VfL Osnabrück
2010/11 Eintracht Braunschweig
2011/12 SV Sandhausen
2012/13 Karlsruher SC
2013/14 1. FC Heidenheim
2014/15 Arminia Bielefeld
2015/16 Dynamo Dresden
2016/17 MSV Duisburg
2017/18 1. FC Magdeburg
2018/19 VfL Osnabrück
2019/20 FC Bayern München II
2020/21

Since the first season in 2008–09, 20 teams have been playing for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. The first two teams are promoted directly, the third in the table has to play for promotion in two playoffs in the relegation against the third from the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga. The three (from the 2018–19 season four[18]) last-placed teams will be relegated to the fourth-class Regionalliga and will be replaced by four (until 2018–19 three) promoted teams from the Regionalligas. The four best teams in the league qualify for the DFB-Pokal.

The teams which are not reserve teams of Bundesliga teams among the 20 teams in the league compete for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, while the four bottom teams are relegated to one of the five Regionalligen: Regionalliga Nord, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga West, Regionalliga Südwest, and Regionalliga Bayern. Until 2018, three were relegated. If, however, a reserve team is playing in the 3. Liga and the respective first team is relegated to the 3. Liga, the reserve team will be demoted to the fifth-level Oberliga regardless of its league position, because reserve teams of 3. Liga clubs are ineligible to play in the Regionalliga.

Qualifying for the 3. Liga

At the end of the 2007–08 season, the two best non-reserve teams from each of the two divisions of the Regionalliga were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. The teams ranked third to tenth in both Regionalliga entered the new 3. Liga, joining the four teams relegated from the 2. Bundesliga to form the new 20-team league. Teams finishing 11th or lower in their Regionalliga remained where they were.

On 18 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 2. Bundesliga season, four clubs were relegated from the 2. Bundesliga and became charter members of the 3. Liga: Kickers Offenbach, Erzgebirge Aue, SC Paderborn and FC Carl Zeiss Jena.

On 31 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 Regionalliga seasons, clubs placing third through tenth in the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga Süd also qualified for the new 3. Liga.

U23 Regulation

The teams of the 3. Liga are obliged to list at least 4 players in the match report sheet (game day squad) for each game who are eligible to play for a DFB selection team and who are not older than 23 years for the entire season (1 July to 30 June), i.e. were born on or after 1 July 1997 (U23 players) for the 2020–21 season.[19]

Eligibility to play in the second teams of licensed clubs (Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga) is based on the regulation that applies from the Regionalliga downwards. According to this, only U23 players (see above) may be used, with 3 older players being allowed to be in the game at the same time.[20]

From the Regionalliga Nord:

From the Regionalliga Süd:

Promotion and relegation

The winner and runner-up in a given season are automatically promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. The third place team enters a home/away playoff against the 16th placed team of the 2. Bundesliga for the right to enter/stay in the 2. Bundesliga. Teams placing in the bottom four (three prior to 2019) are automatically sent to the Regionalliga.

Season Champions Runners-up Third place Standings
2008–09 Union Berlin Fortuna Düsseldorf SC Paderborn Table
2009–10 VfL Osnabrück Erzgebirge Aue FC Ingolstadt Table
2010–11 Eintracht Braunschweig Hansa Rostock Dynamo Dresden Table
2011–12 SV Sandhausen VfR Aalen Jahn Regensburg Table
2012–13 Karlsruher SC Arminia Bielefeld VfL Osnabrück Table
2013–14 1. FC Heidenheim RB Leipzig Darmstadt 98 Table
2014–15 Arminia Bielefeld MSV Duisburg Holstein Kiel Table
2015–16 Dynamo Dresden Erzgebirge Aue Würzburger Kickers Table
2016–17 MSV Duisburg Holstein Kiel Jahn Regensburg Table
2017–18 1. FC Magdeburg SC Paderborn Karlsruher SC Table
2018–19 VfL Osnabrück Karlsruher SC Wehen Wiesbaden Table
2019–20 Bayern Munich II Würzburger Kickers Eintracht Braunschweig Table
  • Bold denotes team earned promotion.

Economy

With an annual turnover of € 186 million (as of 2017–18), the 3. Liga was ahead of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the Handball-Bundesliga and Basketball Bundesliga (see: List of professional sports leagues by revenue).

License terms

In addition to sporting qualifications, the clubs concerned must also meet the economic and technical- organizational requirements that are mandatory by the DFB Presidium. These include that the capacity the stadiums in the 3. Liga must be more than 10,000 seats (of which 2000 seats); in turn, at least one third of these spaces must be covered. A stadium capacity of 5000 seats is sufficient for second teams. The coaches must have completed the football teacher training.[21]

In particular, the conditions relating to the arcade infrastructure repeatedly prompt potential climbers from the subordinate regional leagues not to submit any licensing documents; for example SV Rödinghausen or Berliner AK 07, both of which play in stadiums that are clearly too small.[22][23] On the other hand, cases such as that of KFC Uerdingen 05, 1. FC Saarbrücken or Türkgücü München show that even a temporary game operation in alternative venues is just as problematic as the search for one.[24][25][26]

Broadcast rights

The media rights contract with SportA, the sports rights agency of the German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, ran until the end of the 2017–18 season. Under this contract, the ARD and its third programs broadcast at least 100, a maximum of 120 games as well as the promotion games to the 3. Liga live.[27] The third programs broadcast further games via live stream on the internet. This reached an average of around four million viewers.[28] in addition, the ARD Sportschau showed summaries of selected games on Saturday from 6 pm to 6:30 pm.

Since the start of the 2017–18 season, Deutsche Telekom has been broadcasting all games for customers and subscribers as internet live streams.[27] From the 2018–19 season to the 2020–21 season, a new contract came into force, with which SportA and Telekom jointly held the media rights to the 3. Liga. The ARD and its state broadcasters will then show 86 games from the 3. Liga as well as the promotion games to the 3. Liga live.

The clubs in the 3. Liga have each received well over a million euros for television rights since the 2018–19 season, around 40 percent more than before.[29] When the 3. Liga was introduced, the clubs received a total of € 10 million.[30] Since the 2009–10 season, the annual payout has been € 12,8 million.[31][32] the second teams of the professional clubs do not participate in the television money.

Spectators

the number of spectators in the 3. Liga varies greatly. Big city traditional clubs like Dynamo Dresden, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, 1. FC Magdeburg, FC Hansa Rostock, MSV Duisburg, Arminia Bielefeld, Karlsruher SC, Alemannia Aachen, Eintracht Braunschweig, TSV 1860 Munich and Fortuna Düsseldorf, but also the ambitious newcomer RB Leipzig often had an average attendance of well over 10.000 viewers per game.[33] Dynamo Dresden achieved the highest amount with an average of 27.500 spectators in the 2015–16 season. For the 2. Bundesliga teams, the average attendance is often less than 1500 spectators per game. Werder Bremen II had the lowest value in the 2011–12 season with an average of 626. In the 2018/19 season, more than three million viewers were registered for the first time with an average of over 8,000, and six clubs achieved a five-digit average attendance.

League statistics

Up to and including the 2018–19 season the top goal scorers, attendance statistics and records for the league are:

Attendance
Season League total
attendance		 League average
attendance		 Best supported club Average
attendance
2008–09[34] 2,134,425 5,617 Fortuna Düsseldorf 14,875
2009–10[35] 1,949,392 5,130 Dynamo Dresden 14,440
2010–11[36] 2,122,025 5,584 Eintracht Braunschweig 17,425
2011–12[37] 1,736,392 4,569 Arminia Bielefeld 8,935
2012–13[38] 2,341,685 6,162 Karlsruher SC 11,974
2013–14[39] 2,306,918 6,071 RB Leipzig 16,734
2014–15[40] 2,563,078 6,745 Dynamo Dresden 22,748
2015–16[41] 2,665,994 7,068 Dynamo Dresden 27,554
2016–17[42] 2,265,088 5,976 1. FC Magdeburg 17,101
2017–18[43] 2,348,630 6,181 1. FC Magdeburg 18,231
2018–19[44] 3,089,354 8,130 1. FC Kaiserslautern 21,156
2019–20[45][46] 2,350,190 6,185 Eintracht Braunschweig 13,600

Top scorers
Season Player Goals Club
2008–09 [47] Anton Fink 21 SpVgg Unterhaching
2009–10[48] Régis Dorn 22 SV Sandhausen
2010–11[49] Domi Kumbela
Patrick Mayer		 19 Eintracht Braunschweig
1. FC Heidenheim
2011–12[50] Marcel Reichwein 17 Rot-Weiß Erfurt
2012–13[51] Anton Fink
Fabian Klos		 20 Chemnitzer FC
Arminia Bielefeld
2013–14[52] Dominik Stroh-Engel 27 Darmstadt 98
2014–15[53] Fabian Klos 23 Arminia Bielefeld
2015–16[54] Justin Eilers 23 Dynamo Dresden
2016–17[55] Christian Beck 17 1. FC Magdeburg
2017–18[56] Manuel Schäffler 22 Wehen Wiesbaden
2018–19[57] Marvin Pourié 22 Karlsruher SC
2019–20[58] Kwasi Okyere Wriedt 24 Bayern Munich II

Records

As of 29 May 2019

Highest win7–0FC Carl Zeiss Jena 0 – 7 1. FC Saarbrücken (11 August 2010)[59]
Most goals in a game10Eintracht Braunschweig 5 – 5 Fortuna Düsseldorf (10 May 2009)[60]
Most league appearances332Tim Danneberg (Eintracht Braunschweig, Chemnitzer FC, VfL Osnabrück, Holstein Kiel, SV Sandhausen)[61]
Most goals scored136Anton Fink (Karlsruher SC, SpVgg Unterhaching, Chemnitzer FC, VfR Aalen)[62]

Placings in the 3. Liga
Map showing the champions of 3. Liga

The following clubs have played in the league and achieved the following final positions:[63]

Club 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Union Berlin 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B B
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2 2B 2B 2B B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B B 2B
SV Sandhausen 8 14 12 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B
1. FC Heidenheim 6 9 4 5 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B
RB Leipzig 2 2B 2B B B B B B
Darmstadt 981 14 18 3 2B B B 2B 2B 2B 2B
Arminia Bielefeld B 2B 2B 13 2 2B 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B
Erzgebirge Aue 12 2 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B
Holstein Kiel 19 16 3 14 2 2B 2B 2B 2B
Jahn Regensburg 15 16 8 3 2B 11 20 3 2B 2B 2B 2B
SC Paderborn 3 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B 2B 18 2 2B B 2B
VfL Osnabrück 2B 1 2B 7 3 5 11 5 6 17 1 2B 2B
Karlsruher SC B 2B 2B 2B 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 3 2 2B 2B
Würzburger Kickers 3 2B 5 5 2 2B
Eintracht Braunschweig 13 4 1 2B 2B B 2B 2B 2B 2B 16 3 2B
Dynamo Dresden 9 12 3 2B 2B 2B 6 1 2B 2B 2B 2B x
Wehen Wiesbaden 2B 15 4 16 7 4 9 16 7 4 3 2B x
FC Ingolstadt 2B 3 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B B 2B 2B 4 x
1. FC Magdeburg 4 4 1 2B 14 x
MSV Duisburg 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 7 2 2B 1 2B 2B 5 x
Hallescher FC 10 9 10 13 13 13 4 15 x
Hansa Rostock 2B 2B 2 2B 12 13 17 10 15 6 6 6 x
FSV Zwickau 5 15 7 16 x
1. FC Kaiserslautern 2B 2B B B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 9 10 x
SpVgg Unterhaching 4 11 14 15 9 17 19 9 10 11 x
KFC Uerdingen 11 13 x
TSV 1860 Munich 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 12 8 x
SV Meppen 7 13 7 x
Chemnitzer FC 9 6 12 5 6 8 19 17 x
Bayern Munich II 5 8 19 1 x
FC Viktoria Köln 12 x
SV Waldhof Mannheim 9 x
1. FC Saarbrücken 6 10 11 20 x
VfB Lübeck x
SC Verl x
Türkgücü München x
Preußen Münster 12 4 6 8 9 9 10 8 18
Sonnenhof Großaspach 15 7 10 14 15 19
FC Carl Zeiss Jena 16 5 15 18 11 14 20
Energie Cottbus B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 7 19 17
Sportfreunde Lotte 12 16 18
Fortuna Köln 14 11 16 8 19
VfR Aalen 19 16 2 2B 2B 2B 15 11 12 20
Werder Bremen II 17 13 18 20 17 17 18
Rot-Weiß Erfurt 10 9 5 5 13 10 12 8 14 20
Mainz 05 II 16 12 19
FSV Frankfurt 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 20
Stuttgarter Kickers 20 17 8 4 18
VfB Stuttgart II 11 10 10 11 14 15 13 20
Borussia Dortmund II 18 16 14 18
SV Elversberg 18
Wacker Burghausen 18 17 17 6 8 19
Kickers Offenbach1 7 7 7 8 15
SV Babelsberg 03 13 17 19
Alemannia Aachen 2B 2B 2B 2B 20
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen 2B 2B 2B 19
TuS Koblenz3 2B 2B 11
Rot Weiss Ahlen4 2B 2B 20
Wuppertaler SV 14 20
Kickers Emden5 6

Notes
Symbol Key
B Bundesliga
2B 2. Bundesliga
1 League champions
# League place
Blank not in 3. Liga, Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga
  • 1 Kickers Offenbach were refused a 3. Liga licence at the end of the 2012–13 season and relegated to the Regionalliga. SV Darmstadt 98, placed 18th originally, were instead placed in 17th position and were not relegated.[64]
  • 2 TSV 1860 Munich were unable to obtain a 3. Liga licence at the end of the 2016–17 season and relegated to the Regionalliga. SC Paderborn 07, placed 18th originally and who submitted a 3. Liga licence application, remained in the league for the 2017–18 season.[65][66]
  • 3 TuS Koblenz withdrew from the league after the 2011–12 season; Bremen II, placed 18th originally, were instead placed in 17th position and were not relegated.
  • 4 RW Ahlen did not receive a licence for the 2011–12 season, originally finishing 17th after 2010–11. The club was placed in 20th position and relegated. Burghausen, placed 18th originally, were instead placed in 17th position and were not relegated. Ahlen did not request a licence in the Regionalliga and started the new season in the Oberliga.
  • 5 Kickers Emden withdrew from the league after the 2008–09 season; Burghausen, placed 18th originally, were instead placed in 17th position and were not relegated. Emden became insolvent in 2012.

Promotion rounds

To the 2. Bundesliga
Main article: Promotion to the 2. Bundesliga

At the end of the regular season the third placed team in the 3. Liga play the 16th placed team in the 2. Bundesliga over two matches. The overall winner plays in the 2. Bundesliga in the following season, and the loser in the 3. Liga.

2008–09[67]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
SC Paderborn (3L) 2–0 VfL Osnabrück (2B) 1–0 1–0
2009–10[68]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
FC Ingolstadt (3L) 3–0 Hansa Rostock (2B) 1–0 2–0
2010–11[69]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Dynamo Dresden (3L) 4–2 VfL Osnabrück (2B) 1–1 3–1 (a.e.t.)
2011–12[70]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Jahn Regensburg (3L) 3–3 (a) Karlsruher SC (2B) 1–1 2–2
2012–13[71]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
VfL Osnabrück (3L) 1–2 Dynamo Dresden (2B) 1–0 0–2
2013–14[72]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Darmstadt 98 (3L) 5–5 (a) Arminia Bielefeld (2B) 1–3 4–2 (a.e.t.)
2014–15[73]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Holstein Kiel (3L) 1–2 1860 Munich (2B) 0–0 1–2
2015–16[74]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Würzburger Kickers (3L) 4–1 MSV Duisburg (2B) 2–0 2–1
2016–17[75]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Jahn Regensburg (3L) 3–1 1860 Munich (2B) 1–1 2–0
2017–18[76]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Karlsruher SC (3L) 1–3 Erzgebirge Aue (2B) 0–0 1–3
2018–19[77]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Wehen Wiesbaden (3L) 4–4 (a) FC Ingolstadt (2B) 1–2 3–2
2019–20[78]
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
1. FC Nürnberg (2B) 3–3 (a) FC Ingolstadt (3L) 2–0 1–3

To the 3. Liga
Main article: Promotion to the 3. Liga

From the 2012–13 to 2017–18 seasons, the champions of the five Regionalligas and the runners-up of the Regionalliga Südwest entered an end-of-the season play-off to determine the three teams promoted to the 3. Liga. From the 2018–19 season, three out of those five champions take direct promotion, leaving the remaining two to contest the play-off for the fourth promotion.

Key
  • Winner in bold.
Symbol Key
(2B) 2. Bundesliga — 16th placed team
(3L) 3. Liga — 3rd placed team
(B) Regionalliga Bayern
(N) Regionalliga Nord
(NO) Regionalliga Nordost
(S1) Regionalliga Südwest — Champions
(S2) Regionalliga Südwest — Runners-up
(W) Regionalliga West

The German 3. Liga was licensed in 2017 for EA SPORTS FIFA 18 video-game for the first time by the result of a voting poll from the FIFA community FIFPlay for FIFA 18 new leagues. The voting has received over 2 million votes from the community with more than 230,000 votes for the German 3rd League (3. Liga).[79]

Notes
  1. It is fully written as Dritte Liga and is more explicitly called 3. Fußball-Liga.

References
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