NOFV regional league clubs present promotion proposals

With three proposed solutions, 17 of the 18 regional league clubs from the north-east have given new impetus to the question of promotion to the 3rd soccer league. Under the slogan "Promotion reform 2025 - #meistermüssenaufsteigen#", they want to provide the North-East German Football Association (NOFV) with proposals for action for a motion at the DFB Bundesestag in September.

The main issue is the German Football Association's (DFB) promotion regulations, which have been in place since 2017 and were modified in 2019. There are five regional leagues. An interim promotion regulation stipulates that the champions of the associations with the most members, South-West and West, are promoted directly. The other three associations always have one direct promotion in turn. The remaining two associations have to play a relegation play-off.

The proposed solutions

1. The current five regional leagues will be reduced to four - North, East, South, West - and at the same time increased to 20 teams per season. A similar division already existed as a third-tier regional league in the 1990s. Every champion would be promoted and there would be 80 regional league teams in Germany instead of the current 90.
   
2. All five regional league champions play against each other in a play-off round. The four best-placed teams are promoted. The income from television marketing will be distributed equally among all regional league teams participating in the play-off round.
   
3. The 3rd Football League will be increased to 22 clubs with four relegated teams. There will be four regional leagues, each champion will be promoted. The second teams of the professional clubs will play in their own U23 league, similar to England, in order to specifically promote young talent and make it easier for talented players from the top clubs to join third or fourth division clubs.