2019 German Football League
{{Infobox sports season
| title = 2019 German Football League
| color =
| color_text =
| league = German Football League
| sport = American football
| logo =
| pixels =
| caption =
| duration = 27 April–12 October 2019
| no_of_games =
| no_of_matches =
| no_of_teams = 16
| attendance =
| TV =
| draft =
| draft_link =
| top_pick =
| picked_by =
| season =
| season_champs =
| season_champ_name =
| league_champs =
| league_champ_name =
| second_place =
| minor_premiers =
| MVP =
| MVP_link =
| top_scorer =
| top_scorer_link =
| promote = Elmshorn Fighting Pirates, Ravensburg Razorbacks
| promote_to = GFL
| relegate = Düsseldorf Panther, Kirchdorf Wildcats
| relegate_to = GFL2
| playoffs = Regular season
| playoffs_link = German Football League
| conf1 = GFL North
| conf1_link = German Football League
| conf1_champ = New Yorker Lions (15)
| conf1_runner-up =
| conf2 = GFL South
| conf2_link = German Football League
| conf2_champ = Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (10)
| conf2_runner-up =
| playoffs_MVP =
| playoffs_MVP_link =
| finals = German Bowl XLI
| finals_link = German Bowl
| finals_champ = New Yorker Lions (12)
| finals_runner-up = Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
| finals_MVP =
| finals_MVP_link =
| seasonslist = :Category:German Football League seasons
| seasonslistnames = GFL
| prevseason_link = 2018 German Football League
| prevseason_year = 2018
| altseason_link =
| altseason_year =
| nextseason_link = 2020 German Football League
| nextseason_year = 2020
}}
The 2019 German Football League season is the 41st edition of the top-level American football competition in Germany.
The regular season starts on 27 April and will be finished on 8 September 2019, followed by the play-offs.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gfl.info/gfl-spielplan/|title=GFL Spielplan – GFL|website=www.gfl.info|language=de-DE|access-date=2019-02-12}} The season culminated in the German Bowl XLI, which will be held on 12 October 2019 in Frankfurt.{{cite web |url=http://www.afvd.de/text.php?Inhalt=newsmeldung&ID=9984 |title=Große Football-Bühne kehrt nach Frankfurt zurück |date=13 October 2018 |website=afvd.de |publisher=AFVD |access-date=12 February 2019 |language=de-DE |trans-title= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212190415/http://www.afvd.de/text.php?Inhalt=newsmeldung&ID=9984 |archive-date=12 February 2019 |url-status=dead }}
Modus
{{Location map+|Germany|float=right|width=350|caption=Location of teams in the German Football League 2019|places=
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.50|long=13.26|label={{nowrap|Rebels}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=top}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=51.03|long= 6.91|label={{nowrap|Crocodiles}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=51.04|long=13.75|label={{nowrap|Monarchs}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=left}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=51.26|long= 6.73|label={{nowrap|Panther}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.14|long= 9.94|label={{nowrap|Invaders}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=left}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.29|long=10.52|label={{nowrap|Lions}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=54.35|long=10.12|label={{nowrap|Baltic Hurricanes}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.40|long=13.07|label={{nowrap|Royals}}|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=47.73|long=10.32|label={{nowrap|Comets}}|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.13|long= 8.72|label={{nowrap|Universe}}|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=48.74|long=11.44|label={{nowrap|Dukes}}|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=48.25|long=12.98|label={{nowrap|Wildcats}}|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.80|long= 8.77|label={{nowrap|Mercenaries}}|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=48.22|long=11.62|label={{nowrap|Cowboys}}|position=left}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=49.18|long= 9.73|label={{nowrap|Unicorns}}|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=48.79|long= 9.18|label={{nowrap|Scorpions}}|position=right}}
}}
During the regular season each club plays all other clubs in its division twice, home and away, resulting in each team playing 14 regular season games. There are no games between clubs from opposite divisions, interconference games having been abolished after the 2011 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/schedule.pl?rubrik=5010 |title=GFL 2018|date= |website=football-aktuell.de |publisher=|access-date= 7 March 2016|language=German|trans-title= }}
The best four teams in each division qualify for the play-offs where, in the quarter-finals, teams from opposite divisions play each other, whereby the better placed teams have home field advantage. The first placed team plays the fourth placed from the other division and the second placed the third placed team. From the semi-finals onwards teams from the same division can meet again.
The eighth placed team in each division enter a two-leg play-off with the winner of the respective division of the German Football League 2, the second tier of the league system in Germany. The winners of this contest qualify for the GFL for the following season.
League tables
=GFL=
The league tables of the two GFL divisions:
==North==
{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL
|source=[http://www.gfl.info/gfl-tabellen/ GFL.info], [http://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/schedule.pl?rubrik=501010 football-aktuell.de]
|for_against_style=points
|ranking_style=percentage
|team1=NYL |team2=DRE |team3=HIL |team4=BRE |team5=COL |team6=POT |team7=KIL |team8=DUS
|result1=CPO |result2=CPO |result3=CPO |result4=CPO |result8=REL
|update=complete
|win_BRE= 8 |draw_BRE=0 |loss_BRE= 6 |gf_BRE=387 |ga_BRE=302 |name_BRE=Berlin Rebels
|win_COL= 7 |draw_COL=0 |loss_COL= 7 |gf_COL=251 |ga_COL=314 |name_COL=Cologne Crocodiles
|win_DRE=10 |draw_DRE=0 |loss_DRE= 4 |gf_DRE=418 |ga_DRE=189 |name_DRE=Dresden Monarchs
|win_DUS= 0 |draw_DUS=0 |loss_DUS=14 |gf_DUS=185 |ga_DUS=619 |name_DUS=Düsseldorf Panther
|win_HIL=10 |draw_HIL=0 |loss_HIL= 4 |gf_HIL=413 |ga_HIL=305 |name_HIL=Hildesheim Invaders
|win_KIL= 2 |draw_KIL=1 |loss_KIL=11 |gf_KIL=210 |ga_KIL=425 |name_KIL=Kiel Baltic Hurricanes
|win_NYL=14 |draw_NYL=0 |loss_NYL= 0 |gf_NYL=586 |ga_NYL=179 |name_NYL=New Yorker Lions
|win_POT= 4 |draw_POT=1 |loss_POT= 9 |gf_POT=243 |ga_POT=360 |name_POT=Potsdam Royals
|res_col_header=QR
|col_CPO=green1 |text_CPO=Qualification to play-offs
|col_REL=red1 |text_REL=Relegation play-offs to GFL2
}}
==South==
{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL
|source=[http://www.gfl.info/gfl-tabellen/ GFL.info], [http://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/schedule.pl?rubrik=501011 football-aktuell.de]
|for_against_style=points
|ranking_style=percentage
|team1=SCH |team2=FRA |team3=MAR |team4=STU |team5=ING |team6=ALL |team7=MUN |team8=KIR
|result1=CPO |result2=CPO |result3=CPO |result4=CPO |result8=REL
|update=complete
|win_ALL= 5 |draw_ALL=0 |loss_ALL= 9 |gf_ALL=263 |ga_ALL=406 |name_ALL=Allgäu Comets
|win_FRA=11 |draw_FRA=0 |loss_FRA= 3 |gf_FRA=478 |ga_FRA=252 |name_FRA=Frankfurt Universe
|win_ING= 5 |draw_ING=0 |loss_ING= 9 |gf_ING=298 |ga_ING=433 |name_ING=Ingolstadt Dukes
|win_KIR= 2 |draw_KIR=1 |loss_KIR=11 |gf_KIR=276 |ga_KIR=513 |name_KIR=Kirchdorf Wildcats
|win_MAR= 9 |draw_MAR=0 |loss_MAR= 5 |gf_MAR=493 |ga_MAR=378 |name_MAR=Marburg Mercenaries
|win_MUN= 3 |draw_MUN=1 |loss_MUN=10 |gf_MUN=238 |ga_MUN=423 |name_MUN=Munich Cowboys
|win_SCH=14 |draw_SCH=0 |loss_SCH= 0 |gf_SCH=680 |ga_SCH=176 |name_SCH=Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
|win_STU= 6 |draw_STU=0 |loss_STU= 8 |gf_STU=328 |ga_STU=473 |name_STU=Stuttgart Scorpions
|res_col_header=QR
|col_CPO=green1 |text_CPO=Qualification to play-offs
|col_REL=red1 |text_REL=Relegation play-offs to GFL2
}}
=GFL2=
The league tables of the two GFL2 divisions:
==North==
{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL
|source=[https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/aschedule.pl?rubrik=501110&jahr=2019 Football-aktuell], [http://www.gfl.info/text.php?Inhalt=tabellen&Liga=GFL2 GFL.info]
|for_against_style=points
|ranking_style=percentage
|team1=ELM |team2=LUB |team3=ROS |team4=SOL |team5=LAN |team6=HAM |team7=HAN |team8=TRO
|result1=CPO |result7=REL |result8=REL
|update=complete
|win_ELM=12|draw_ELM=0 |loss_ELM=2 |gf_ELM=561 |ga_ELM=279 |name_ELM=Elmshorn Fighting Pirates
|win_HAM=7 |draw_HAM=0 |loss_HAM=7 |gf_HAM=399 |ga_HAM=340 |name_HAM=Hamburg Huskies
|win_HAN=2 |draw_HAN=0 |loss_HAN=12|gf_HAN=250 |ga_HAN=515 |name_HAN=Hannover Spartans
|win_LAN=8 |draw_LAN=0 |loss_LAN=6 |gf_LAN=481 |ga_LAN=414 |name_LAN=Langenfeld Longhorns
|win_LUB=10|draw_LUB=0 |loss_LUB=4 |gf_LUB=418 |ga_LUB=337 |name_LUB=Lübeck Cougars
|win_ROS=8 |draw_ROS=0 |loss_ROS=6 |gf_ROS=456 |ga_ROS=353 |name_ROS=Rostock Griffins
|win_SOL=8 |draw_SOL=0 |loss_SOL=6 |gf_SOL=370 |ga_SOL=386 |name_SOL=Solingen Paladins
|win_TRO=1 |draw_TRO=0 |loss_TRO=13|gf_TRO=203 |ga_TRO=514 |name_TRO=Troisdorf Jets
|class_rules = 1) Winning percentage, 2) Head-to-head results
|res_col_header=QR
|col_CPO=green1 |text_CPO=Qualification to promotion play-off
|col_REL=red1 |text_REL=Relegation to Regionalliga
}}
==South==
{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL
|source=[https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/aschedule.pl?rubrik=501111&jahr=2019 Football-aktuell], [http://www.gfl.info/text.php?Inhalt=tabellen&Liga=GFL2 GFL.info]
|for_against_style=points
|ranking_style=percentage
|team1=RAV |team2=SAA |team3=STR |team4=BIB |team5=WIE |team6=DAR |team7=GIE
|result1=CPO |result7=REL
|update=complete
|win_BIB=6 |draw_BIB=0 |loss_BIB=6 |gf_BIB=288 |ga_BIB=385 |name_BIB=Biberach Beavers
|win_DAR=3 |draw_DAR=0 |loss_DAR=9 |gf_DAR=176 |ga_DAR=420 |name_DAR=Darmstadt Diamonds
|win_GIE=0 |draw_GIE=0 |loss_GIE=12|gf_GIE= 62 |ga_GIE=474 |name_GIE=Gießen Golden Dragons
|win_RAV=10|draw_RAV=0 |loss_RAV=2 |gf_RAV=433 |ga_RAV=244 |name_RAV=Ravensburg Razorbacks
|win_SAA=9 |draw_SAA=0 |loss_SAA=3 |gf_SAA=501 |ga_SAA=183 |name_SAA=Saarland Hurricanes
|win_STR=9 |draw_STR=0 |loss_STR=3 |gf_STR=431 |ga_STR=182 |name_STR=Straubing Spiders
|win_WIE=5 |draw_WIE=0 |loss_WIE=7 |gf_WIE=301 |ga_WIE=304 |name_WIE=Wiesbaden Phantoms
|class_rules = 1) Winning percentage, 2) Head-to-head results
|res_col_header=QR
|col_CPO=green1 |text_CPO=Qualification to promotion play-off
|col_REL=red1 |text_REL=Relegation to Regionalliga
}}
Relegation and Promotion round
| class="wikitable"
! Division | GFL Team | GFL2 Team | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Total |
| North | Düsseldorf Panther | Elmshorn Fighting Pirates
|style="text-align:center"| 14–47 | style="text-align:center"| 21–34 | style="text-align:center"| 35–81 | |
| South | Kirchdorf Wildcats | Ravensburg Razorbacks
|style="text-align:center"| 28–40 | style="text-align:center"| 34–58 | style="text-align:center"| 62–98 |
Play-offs
This year all play-off games were won by the home teams and the Dresden Monarchs found their match in the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns for the fourth time in five years (losing their semifinals to them in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018). This losing streak would only end in German Bowl XLII which again saw Schwäbisch Hall face the Monarchs, but this time the Saxonians prevailed. Avenging the previous year's semifinal defeat against Frankfurt, Braunschweig once again reached the German Bowl, which would be played in Frankfurt's Waldstadion this year. In a low scoring affair, Braunschweig snapped a fifty-game winning streak of Schwäbisch Hall that had started in 2017 and won their twelfth national championship by a final score of 10–7 in German Bowl XLI.
{{8TeamBracket
| team-width= 170px
| RD3 = German Bowl
| RD1-seed1 =N1
| RD1-team1 =New Yorker Lions
| RD1-score1=70
| RD1-seed2 =S4
| RD1-team2 =Stuttgart Scorpions
| RD1-score2=3
| RD1-seed3 =S2
| RD1-team3 =Frankfurt Universe
| RD1-score3=28
| RD1-seed4 =N3
| RD1-team4 =Hildesheim Invaders
| RD1-score4=7
| RD1-seed5 =S1
| RD1-team5 =Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
| RD1-score5=45
| RD1-seed6 =N4
| RD1-team6 =Berlin Rebels
| RD1-score6=24
| RD1-seed7 =N2
| RD1-team7 =Dresden Monarchs
| RD1-score7=39
| RD1-seed8 =S3
| RD1-team8 =Marburg Mercenaries
| RD1-score8=22
| RD2-team1 =New Yorker Lions
| RD2-score1=36
| RD2-team2 =Frankfurt Universe
| RD2-score2=18
| RD2-team3 =Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
| RD2-score3=30
| RD2-team4 =Dresden Monarchs
| RD2-score4=13
| RD3-team1 =New Yorker Lions
| RD3-score1=10
| RD3-team2 =Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
| RD3-score2=7
}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.gfl.info Official GFL website] {{in lang|de}}
{{German Football League clubs}}