Rules
The rules of the game in Bavaria, the Spielordnung, has a number of special clauses that, at times, differ from the standard frame work of the DFB.
The BFV categorises players in three groups, amateurs, contracted players and licensed players. The Bavarian FA's definition of an amateur is a player who is not paid for its participation in a game and receives no more than €249.99 per month in compensations. It also sub-divides professionals in contracted players and licensed players. A contracted player is a player who is a member of a club who also receives payments in excess of €250 while a licensed player is a full professional.
The BFV clearly defines the season as starting on 1 July of a year and finishing on 30 June the following year. It prohibits matches to be played in January, unless they are held indoors.
Every club competing in the league system must have a certain number of junior teams, depending on which league they play in, with the clubs in the Landesliga and Bayernliga having to have the most, three. Every club must also provide one referee per senior team it fields.
The BFV stipulates that leagues at the fourth to sixth tier of the league system have to have a nominal strength of 18 teams, leagues below of 16 teams, also this can fluctuate with promotion and relegation. It also dictates a specific league name for every tier. Up to the Kreisklasse, the fourth-lowest tier, first and second teams can play at the same level, but not in the same league.
Unlike most other football associations in Germany, Bavaria did not use the goal difference to determine league positions if two or more teams are on equal points on a rank of importance in the final standings. Should two or more teams be on equal points when a championship, promotion or relegation rank was considered, the teams had to play deciders. However, this rule was temporarily out of force in 2011-12 because of the large number of deciders already required to determine the make up of the future league system after 2012 with its major changes. Since then the goal difference has been used on higher league levels while lower levels were given the option of select which method they wish to use.
All league champions within the Bavarian league system have the right for direct promotion. Should a club decline promotion, the right gets passed on to the next-placed team, to a maximum of the fourth placed side in the final standings.
Should a club declare insolvency during a season its first team will be automatically relegated to the next league below. Reserve teams or youth side are not affected by this but should it have a women's team in a league higher than the men's team, the women's team would be relegated instead.
Should a player compete for a professional team of a club, he or she can not be used in the reserve team for up to 10 days. This rule however does not apply for Under-23 players, which is why many reserve sides of professional clubs play as Under-23 sides.
In the Kreisligas and below, substituted players can be reused during a game. This is not possible in leagues above this level.
