The previous year's climbers of the group south EV Pfronten and ESV Kaufbeuren were able to prevail in the relegation against the promotion candidates of the Baden-Württemberg League, Schwenninger ERC, and the Bayernliga, EV Landsberg and ERC Sonthofen. Thus the team of the southern group remained unchanged.
ES Weißwasser, who took first place in the 'Lower Saxony' regional league group A, took the chance of relegation and was promoted to the Bundesliga. Of the top three teams from the Regionalliga NRW, only EHC Eisbären Düsseldorf made the jump, while GSC Moers and Grefrather EV failed repeatedly. The league newcomers SV Brackwede and Herner EV were able to keep the league sporty, while the last of the preliminary round group north, ESC Frankfurt, would have to relegate to the regional league due to the last place in the relegation group as well as the OSC Berlin, but because of the withdrawal of the teams from Düsseldorf , Brackwede and Hennef / Bonn remained in the league.