Oberliga NOFV

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The NOFV-Oberliga is a division in German soccer. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it became the successor of the DDR-Oberliga, and functions as a 4th Division in the former territory of East Germany.

This league is named after the Nordostdeutsche Fußballverband (translation: Northeast German Football Federation, abbreviation: NOFV) the regional association of the DFB in the former East German territories.

Some renowned former DDR-Oberliga teams nowadays play in this division.

1 Season 1990/1991
2 Seasons 1991/1992 through 1993/1994
3 Since 1994/1995
4 2006/7 season

[edit] Season 1990/1991

The NOFV-Oberliga developed after the entry of the Deutscher Fußball-Verband (the East German Football Association) to the Deutscher Fußball-Bund. It was the successor of the DDR-Oberliga and functioned as the elite division in the former East Germany for this season only.

FC Hansa Rostock became champions of that league, with 1. FC Dynamo Dresden being the runner-up. Thereby both acquired the starting right for Bundesliga-Season 1991/1992.

The following teams qualified directly for the 2nd Bundesliga:

FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt (3rd Place)
Hallesche FC Chemie (4th Place)
Chemnitzer FC (5th Place)
FC Carl Zeiss Jena (6th Place)

These two teams qualified indirectly through a playoff round:

1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig (7th Place)
BSV Stahl Brandenburg (8th Place)

All remaining clubs continued to play in the NOFV-Oberliga. This became the third-highest division starting with the 1991/92 season.

[edit] Seasons 1991/1992 through 1993/1994

During these three seasons the NOFV-Oberliga was the third-highest league in German football. At this time it consisted of three divisions: North, Central and South. Overall there were 10 Oberligen in Germany at that time. At the end of the season, the Oberliga champions had a playoff for promotion to 2nd Bundesliga. The bottom two teams of each division were relegated to the Landesligen.

Division champions and promotion to 2nd Bundesliga:

1991/1992 - Champion North: FC Berlin - Champion Central: 1. FC Union Berlin - Champion South: FSV Zwickau
1992/1993 - Champion North and promoted: Tennis Borussia Berlin - Champion Central: 1. FC Union Berlin - Champion South: FC Sachsen Leipzig
1993/1994 -Champion North: BSV Brandenburg - Champion Central: 1. FC Union Berlin - Champion South and promoted: FSV Zwickau

[edit] Since 1994/1995

With the introduction of the Regionalliga the NOFV-Oberliga became the 4th level of the pyramid starting with the 1994/95 season. The number of divisions was reduced by one so that only North and South remained. Today it is the highest amateur division. The champions of both divisions were promoted directly to Regionalliga until Regionalliga was reduced from 4 to 2 divisions from the 1999/2000 season. Due to that change, there was no promotion from Oberliga in the 1998/99, but more teams were relegated to Oberliga than usual.

Starting with the 1999/2000 season promotion was decided by a two-leg playoff between the division champions. This rule was scrapped for the 2005/06 season, so that both division champions will be promoted to Regionalliga at the end of this season.

The bottom three teams of each division are relegated to the 5th level of the pyramid, but this number can increase depending on which teams are relegated from Regionalliga.

The NOFV-Oberliga is played in two divisions:

Fußball-Oberliga Nordost Staffel Nord (North division):
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Brandenburg
- Berlin
- northern Saxony-Anhalt
Fußball-Oberliga Nordost Staffel Süd (South division):
- central and southern Saxony-Anhalt
- Thuringia
- Saxony

Promotions to the Regionalliga since 1994/1995:

1994/1995 FSV Velten (North division) and Wacker Nordhausen (South division)
1995/1996 SC Charlottenburg (North division) and VFC Plauen (South division)
1996/1997 SV Babelsberg 03 (North division) and 1. FC Magdeburg (South division)
1997/1998 SD Croatia Berlin (North division) and Dresdner SC (South divisione)
1998/1999 Hertha BSC Berlin II (North division) and VfL Halle 96 (South division)
1999/2000 No Relegations due to Regionalliga reforms
2000/2001 1. FC Magdeburg (South division)
2001/2002 1. FC Dynamo Dresden (South division)
2002/2003 FC Sachsen Leipzig (South division)
2003/2004 Hertha BSC Berlin II (North division)
2004/2005 FC Carl Zeiss Jena (South division)
2005/2006 1. FC Union Berlin (North Division) and 1. FC Magdeburg (South Division)