German Football League 2012

German Football League 2012
master	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (2nd title)
final	German Bowl XXXIV
Relegated	Lübeck Cougars
Teams	16
Games	112 + 7 play-off games
spectator	159,988  (ø 1,428 per game)
← GFL 2011 GFL 2013 →
GFL2 - 2012 ↓

The German Football League 2012 was the 34th season of the German Football League (GFL), the top division of American football in Germany.

The regular season began on April 28, 2012 and ended on September 16, 2012. In the period between September 22 and October 13, the play-offs followed, which ended with the final of the German Bowl XXXIV . Here the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns and the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes faced each other. The Unicorns were able to beat the Hurricanes with 56:53 and thus secured their second championship title.

mode

In the 2012 season, 16 teams played in the GFL for the first time, divided evenly into two groups (North and South). It was the first season in the top division with more than 14 teams since the Bundesliga was renamed GFL in the 1990s. This was the implementation of the second stage of the league increase decided in October 2010. As a result of the expansion, the previous interconference games between the groups were dropped, so that teams from north and south only met in the play-offs .

Each of the groups holds a round-robin tournament in which two teams meet twice, with each team enjoying one home right. After each game, the winning team receives two points and the defeated team receives zero. In the event of a tie, each team receives one point. The opponent's points are counted as minus points. After the end of the round-robin tournament, a ranking list is determined, in which the number of points scored is decisive. In the event of a tie, the direct comparison decides.

After the round-robin tournaments, the best four teams fight for the German championship in a play-off round. The last team of the North or South relay fights in a relegation to stay in the league.

The play-offs for the championship are played crosswise. That means, the first in the group plays against the fourth in the other group in a quarter-finals. Accordingly, the second in the group plays against the third in the other group. The group first and second enjoy home rights. The winning teams compete against each other in the semi-finals in such a way that the winner from group A or fourth from group B meets the second from group B or the third from group A. The team that is better placed in the round-robin tournament enjoys home rights. The two winners of the semi-finals compete against each other in the German Bowl XXXIV in Berlin's Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark .

In the relegation, the bottom of the group of GFL Nord plays against the champions of GFL 2 Nord in a return match, with each team enjoying one home right. The winner of these two games qualifies for the GFL, the loser competes in the GFL 2 North in the following season. The same applies to the GFL Süd.

Teams

Berlin eagle Berlin Rebels Dresden monarchs Dusseldorf panther Franken Knights HSV Hamburg Blue Devils Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Lübeck Cougars Marburg Mercenaries Munich cowboys New York Lions Rhein-Neckar Bandits Saarland Hurricanes Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns Stuttgart Scorpions Wiesbaden Phantoms

Teams 2012 GFL North GFL South0000

GFL Group North:

• Berlin eagle
• Berlin Rebels (promoted from GFL 2 North)
• Dresden monarchs
• Dusseldorf panther
• HSV Hamburg Blue Devils (promoted from GFL 2 Nord)
• Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (Champion of GFL North 2011)
• Lübeck Cougars
• New York Lions

GFL Group South:

• Franken Knights (promoted from GFL 2 South)
• Marburg Mercenaries
• Munich cowboys
• Rhein-Neckar Bandits (promoted from GFL 2 Süd)
• Saarland Hurricanes
• Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (Champion of the GFL Süd 2011 and winner of the German Bowl XXXIII )
• Stuttgart Scorpions
• Wiesbaden Phantoms

The GFL 2 started on 19./20. May 2012 and ended with the last regular game day on 8./9. September 2012. The relegation games took place on 22./23. September 2012 and 6./7. October 2012.

In the 2012 season the German champion Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns and last year's finalist Berlin Adler started in the European Football League (EFL). Runner-up Kiel Baltic Hurricanes had a start option. The New Yorker Lions were the only German team to take part in the 2012 EFAF Cup .

Season course

The first game of the season took place on April 28th between the Lübeck Cougars and the Dresden Monarchs. Two weeks later the GFL Süd also started. The German champions from Schwäbisch Hall, who won all games in the previous season, started with a defeat in the all-Swabian duel in Stuttgart.

On the first weekend in June a novelty occurred in the history of the GFL, namely the first game day on which eight matches were played.

Group north

Games

• April 28
  • Lübeck Cougars - Dresden Monarchs 13:23

• May 5th / 6th
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - Düsseldorf Panther 49:21
  • Berlin Rebels - Berlin Adler 16:17

• May 12th / 13th
  • Düsseldorf Panther - Dresden Monarchs 40:14
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - New Yorker Lions 14:17
  • Berlin Adler - Lübeck Cougars 27:10

• May 19th
  • Berlin Rebels - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 10:30
  • New Yorker Lions - Berlin Adler 7:21
  • Düsseldorf Panther - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 65:37

• May 26-27
  • Lübeck Cougars - New Yorker Lions 27:24
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - Düsseldorf Panther 26:63
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - Berlin Rebels 28:23

• 23rd June
  • Dresden Monarchs - Düsseldorf Panther 34:10
  • Berlin Adler - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 27:10
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - New Yorker Lions 59:20
  • Berlin Rebels - Lübeck Cougars 38: 7

• June 9-10
  • Dresden Monarchs - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 17:28
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - Berlin Adler 21:42
  • New Yorker Lions - Lübeck Cougars 51:17

• June 16-17
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - Dresden Monarchs 42:16
  • Berlin Rebels - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 39: 0
  • Düsseldorf Panther - New Yorker Lions 41:20

• June 23rd / 24th
  • Dresden Monarchs - Berlin Rebels 28:27
  • New Yorker Lions - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 38:36
  • Berlin Adler - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 21:42

• June 30th
  • New York Lions - Dresden Monarchs 28:35
  • Düsseldorf Panther - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 44:43

• 7th of July
  • Dresden Monarchs - New York Lions 51:21
  • Lübeck Cougars - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 17:29
  • Düsseldorf Panther - Berlin Adler 30:31

• 21 July
  • Lübeck Cougars - Berlin Rebels 7:42

• July 28-29
  • Düsseldorf Panther - Lübeck Cougars 29:29
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - Berlin Rebels 7:33
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - Berlin Adler 41:27

• 4th of August
  • Dresden Monarchs - Berlin Adler 21:39
  • Lübeck Cougars - Düsseldorf Panther 27:51
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 0:49

• August 11-12
  • Dresden Monarchs - Lübeck Cougars 70:14
  • Berlin Adler - New Yorker Lions 38:28
  • Berlin Rebels - Düsseldorf Panther 27:13
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 41:19

• 18th of August
  • Lübeck Cougars - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 7:41
  • Berlin Adler - Berlin Rebels 17:13
  • New Yorker Lions - Düsseldorf Panther 45:52
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - Dresden Monarchs 6:56

• August 25-26
  • Berlin Adler - Düsseldorf Panther 42:21
  • Berlin Rebels - Dresden Monarchs 10:20
  • Kiel Baltic Hurricanes - Lübeck Cougars 58:27

• September 1
  • Berlin Adler - Dresden Monarchs 7:34
  • New Yorker Lions - Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 20:42
  • Düsseldorf Panther - Berlin Rebels 29:29
  • HSV Hamburg Blue Devils - Lübeck Cougars 40:37

• September 8th / 9th
  • Dresden Monarchs - HSV Hamburg Blue Devils 62:12
  • Lübeck Cougars - Berlin Adler 0:56
  • Berlin Rebels - New Yorker Lions 30:31

• 16th September
  • New Yorker Lions - Berlin Rebels 24:34

Closing table

Pl.	team	total	home	Away	Points	TD	Diff.
1	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	14 (13/0/1)	7 (7/0/0)	7 (6/0/1)	26: 2	593: 272	321
2	Berlin eagle	14 (11/0/3)	7 (5/0/2)	7 (6/0/1)	22: 6	412: 294	118
3	Dresden monarchs	14 (10/0/4)	7 (5/0/2)	7 (5/0/2)	20: 8	481: 297	184
4th	Dusseldorf panther	14 (7/2/4)	7 (4/2/1)	7 (3/0/4)	16:12	509: 453	56
5	Berlin Rebels	14 (6/1/7)	7 (3/0/4)	7 (3/1/3)	13:15	371: 258	113
6th	New York Lions	14 (4/0/10)	7 (2/0/5)	7 (2/0/5)	8:20	374: 497	−123
7th	HSV Hamburg Blue Devils	14 (2/0/12)	7 (1/0/6)	7 (1/0/6)	4:24	257: 586	−329
8th	Lübeck Cougars	14 (1/1/12)	7 (1/0/6)	7 (0/1/6)	3:25	239: 579	−340

Source:
Explanations:  = qualification for the play-offs; = Relegation

Group south

Games

• May 12th / 13th
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Franken Knights 33:34
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 10: 6
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Munich Cowboys 41:23

• May 19-20
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 54: 6
  • Franken Knights - Munich Cowboys 42:39
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Saarland Hurricanes 44:45
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Stuttgart Scorpions 36:28

• May 26
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Stuttgart Scorpions 10:10
  • Franken Knights - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 31:35

• 2th of June
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Franken Knights 45:48
  • Munich Cowboys - Wiesbaden Phantoms 13:26
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Stuttgart Scorpions 21:34
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Saarland Hurricanes 57:28

• June 9th
  • Franken Knights - Stuttgart Scorpions 16:28
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Munich Cowboys 56:42
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 30:53

• June 16
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Marburg Mercenaries 34:27
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Munich Cowboys 34:34
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Franken Knights 46:49

• June 23rd / 24th
  • Munich Cowboys - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 21:59
  • Franken Knights - Saarland Hurricanes 42:29
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Wiesbaden Phantoms 6-0

• June 30th
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Saarland Hurricanes 35:29
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Marburg Mercenaries 10:24
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Munich Cowboys 48: 0
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Franken Knights 49:13

• 7th of July
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Wiesbaden Phantoms 28:16
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Franken Knights 70:39

• 21 July
  • Munich Cowboys - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 22:39
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Marburg Mercenaries 21:28
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Stuttgart Scorpions 21:15

• July 28-29
  • Munich Cowboys - Saarland Hurricanes 35: 7
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Wiesbaden Phantoms 55:20
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Franken Knights 62:60
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Marburg Mercenaries 13: 9

• 4th of August
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Marburg Mercenaries 61:45
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Wiesbaden Phantoms 10:16
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 19:37

• August 11-12
  • Munich Cowboys - Stuttgart Scorpions 3:17
  • Franken Knights - Wiesbaden Phantoms 29:22
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 16:42
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 53:19

• August 18-19
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Munich Cowboys 27:10
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Saarland Hurricanes 31:28
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 37:48

• August 25
  • Munich Cowboys - Marburg Mercenaries 13:34
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 17:24
  • Franken Knights - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 7:47

• 12th September
  • Munich Cowboys - Franken Knights 35:21
  • Rhein-Neckar Bandits - Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 37:27
  • Stuttgart Scorpions - Wiesbaden Phantoms 50:10
  • Marburg Mercenaries - Saarland Hurricanes 49:14

• September 8th
  • Franken Knights - Marburg Mercenaries 7:39
  • Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Stuttgart Scorpions 27: 6
  • Saarland Hurricanes - Rhein-Neckar Bandits 40:14
  • Wiesbaden Phantoms - Munich Cowboys 22: 7

Closing table

Pl.	team	total	home	Away	Points	TD	Diff.
1	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	14 (12/0/2)	7 (7/0/0)	7 (5/0/2)	24: 4	654: 302	352
2	Rhein-Neckar Bandits	14 (10/0/4)	7 (6/0/1)	7 (4/0/3)	20: 8	418: 439	−21
3	Marburg Mercenaries	14 (9/0/5)	7 (5/0/2)	7 (4/0/3)	18:10	473: 339	134
4th	Stuttgart Scorpions	14 (8/2/4)	7 (5/1/1)	7 (3/1/3)	18:10	344: 271	73
5	Franken Knights	14 (6/0/8)	7 (3/0/4)	7 (3/0/4)	12:16	438: 579	−141
6th	Wiesbaden Phantoms	14 (4/0/10)	7 (2/0/5)	7 (2/0/5)	8:20	300: 408	−108
7th	Saarland Hurricanes	14 (3/1/10)	7 (2/1/4)	7 (1/0/6)	7:21	366: 479	−113
8th	Munich cowboys	14 (2/1/11)	7 (2/0/5)	7 (0/1/6)	5:23	297: 473	−176

Source:
Explanations:  = qualification for the play-offs; = Relegation

Relegation

North

	Cologne September 22, 2012 4 p.m.		Cologne Falcons	36:42	Lübeck Cougars		Ostkampfbahn Referee: Tschurer
				(15: 3, 7:29, 7: 7, 7: 3) Match report

	Lübeck October 6, 2012 5:30 p.m.		Lübeck Cougars	10:37	Cologne Falcons		Buniamshof spectators: 1,200 Referee: Rieske
				(7: 7, 3:17, 0: 7, 0: 6) Match report

south

	Munich September 22, 2012		Munich cowboys	59:35	Allgäu Comets
				(7: 0, 7:14, 24: 7, 21:14)

	Kempten October 7, 2012		Allgäu Comets	24:33	Munich cowboys
				(3: 0, 0:20, 0: 7, 21: 6)

Play-offs

Quarterfinals 22./23. September 2012

Semi-finals 29./30. September 2012

German Bowl XXXIV October 13, 2012

1N

Kiel Baltic Hurricanes

70

4S

Stuttgart Scorpions

22nd

1N

Kiel Baltic Hurricanes

35

3N

Dresden monarchs

14th

2S

Rhein-Neckar Bandits

19th

3N

Dresden monarchs

31

1N

Kiel Baltic Hurricanes

53

1S

Sister Hall Unicorns

56

1S

Sister Hall Unicorns

41

4N

Dusseldorf panther

25th

1S

Sister Hall Unicorns

38

2N

Berlin eagle

21st

2N

Berlin eagle

35

3S

Marburg Mercenaries

21st

Quarter finals

	Mannheim September 22, 2012 4:00 p.m.		Rhein-Neckar Bandits	19:31	Dresden monarchs		MTG Stadium spectators: 1,150 Referee: Schrader
				(7: 7, 0: 7, 6: 3, 6:14) Match report

	Schwäbisch Hall September 22, 2012 4:00 p.m.		Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	41:25	Dusseldorf panther		Hagenbachstadion Spectators: 1,800 Referee: Stehle
				(6: 0, 6:10, 14: 7, 15: 8) Match report

	Berlin September 22, 2012 6:00 p.m.		Berlin eagle	35: 21	Marburg Mercenaries		Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark Spectators: 1,202 Referee: Voigtländer
				(7: 0, 7: 0, 14: 7, 7:14) Match report

	Kiel September 23, 2012 3 p.m.		Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	70:22	Stuttgart Scorpions		Holstein Stadium Spectators: 2,966 Referee: In-law
				(6: 0, 27: 7, 14: 0, 23:15) Match report

Semifinals

	Schwäbisch Hall September 29, 2012 3:00 p.m.		Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	38: 21	Berlin eagle		Hagenbachstadion Spectators: 2,200 Referee: Fischer
				(14: 0, 10:14, 0: 7, 14: 0) Match report

	Kiel September 30, 2012 3 p.m.		Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	35:14	Dresden monarchs		Kilia Platz Spectators: 2,356 Referee: Schlundt
				(14:14, 7: 0, 7: 0, 7: 0) Match report

German Bowl

→ Main article : German Bowl XXXIV

			German Bowl XXXIV
	Berlin October 13, 2012 6:00 p.m.		Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	56: 53	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes		Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark Spectators: 11,242 Referee: Sauer
				(10: 7, 17:17, 11:21, 18: 8) Match report

Individual evidence

1. ↑ gfl.info: Start of the 34th GFL season (April 26, 2012) ( Memento of the original from March 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed April 30, 2012  
2. ↑ gfl.info: Bundesliga club for quick increase in GFL (October 10, 2010) ( Memento of the original from December 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 2, 2011  
3. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed December 1, 2011  
4. ↑ ^{a b} Standings / Schedules on stats.gfl.info. GFL, accessed August 8, 2019 . 

Web links

• Official GFL website