German Football League 2016

German Football League 2016
master	New York Lions (11th title)
final	German Bowl XXXVIII
Relegated	Düsseldorf Panther Rhein-Neckar Bandits
Teams	16
Games	112 + 7 play-off games
spectator	184,682  (ø 1,649 per game)
← GFL 2015 GFL 2017 →
GFL2 - 2016 ↓

The German Football League 2016 was the 38th season of the German Football League (GFL), the top division of American football in Germany.

The 2016 GFL season ran from mid-April to early September. The regular season was followed by the play-offs, which ended on October 8 with the final of the German Bowl XXXVIII between the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns and the New York Lions . The Lions won 31:20, their eleventh championship.

mode

Basically, a total of 16 teams compete in two separate groups (eight each in the GFL North and eight in the GFL South). Each of these groups holds a round-robin tournament in which two teams meet twice, with each team enjoying home rights once. 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 compete in a play-off round for the German championship. The last teams of the two groups fight in a relegation to stay in the league.

The play-offs for the championship are played crosswise. That is, 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 winners of the two semi-finals compete against each other in the German Bowl XXXVIII .

In the relegation, the bottom of the group of GFL South plays against the champions of GFL 2 South in a return match, with each team enjoying one home right. Accordingly, the last of the GFL Nord competes against the master of the GFL 2 Nord. The respective winner from the first and second leg qualifies for the GFL, the loser competes in GFL 2 in the following season.

Teams

Berlin eagle Berlin Rebels Dresden monarchs Hamburg huskies Hildesheim Invaders Kiel Baltic Hurricanes New York Lions Dusseldorf panther Allgäu Comets Frankfurt Universe Marburg Mercenaries Munich cowboys Rhein-Neckar Bandits Saarland Hurricanes Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns Stuttgart Scorpions

Teams 2016    : GFL North    : GFL South

The following teams took part in the Northern group:

• Berlin eagle
• Berlin Rebels
• Dresden monarchs
• Dusseldorf panther
• Hamburg huskies
• Hildesheim Invaders (promoted from GFL 2 North)
• Kiel Baltic Hurricanes
• New Yorker Lions (Champion of the GFL Nord 2015 and winner of the German Bowl XXXVII )

Since there were only seven teams in the North Group in the 2015 season, there was no relegation. The first of the GFL 2 Nord, the Hildesheim Invaders , was thus directly qualified for the top division.

The following teams took part in the south group:

• Allgäu Comets
• Frankfurt Universe (promoted from GFL 2 Süd)
• Marburg Mercenaries
• Munich cowboys
• Rhein-Neckar Bandits
• Saarland Hurricanes
• Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (Champion of the GFL Süd 2015)
• Stuttgart Scorpions

For Frankfurt Universe it was the first season in the top German division. Since the Franken Knights withdrew for the relegation games, second division champions Frankfurt qualified without a fight for the 2016 season. At the same time, this was the first time that Frankfurt was represented in the first German football league since the end of the Frankfurter Löwen.

Season course

The regular season began on April 16 with the encounter between Südmeister Schwäbisch Hall and promoted Frankfurt, in which the Unicorns were able to narrowly prevail. Two weeks later, the northern group also entered the season with a victory for the front runner from the previous year: Braunschweig celebrated a clear away win against the Hamburg Huskies.

Group north

Games

GFL North 2016				HH	BR		DP	HI
New Yorker Lions Braunschweig		33:26 7: 7,12: 13,7: 6,7: 0	24:21 0: 7.7: 0.7: 7.10: 7	56: 6 14: 0.21: 0.21: 0.0: 6	35: 7 7: 7.14: 0.14: 0.0: 0	43: 0 21: 0.12: 0.10: 0.0: 0	45: 6 14: 0.10: 0.14: 6.7: 0	42: 7 0: 0.14: 7.21: 0.7: 0
Dresden monarchs	38:38 6: 7.17: 14.7: 10.8: 7		56:14 21: 0.14: 0.7: 7.14: 7	55:17 13: 7.22: 7.14: 3.6: 0	40:36 0: 0.14: 0.13: 14.13: 22	71:20 29: 6.21: 0.21: 7.0: 7	61:14 21: 6.21: 0.13: 8.6: 0	33:14 7: 0.13: 0.13: 0.0: 14
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	10:10 0: 7.0: 3.0: 0.10: 0	35:30 14: 14.14: 0.0: 10.7: 6		52:49 13: 7,13: 7,6: 15,20: 20	21:16 7: 7.7: 0.7: 0.0: 9	54:21 6: 0.20: 7.28: 7.0: 7	63: 0 21: 0.35: 0.7: 0.0: 0	59:27 7: 7.17: 14.21: 6.14: 0
Hamburg huskies	3:44 0: 20.0: 7.0: 17.3: 0	7:63 7: 14.0: 35.0: 0.0: 14	19:31 6: 14.6: 17.0: 0.7: 0		39:69 10: 14.7: 14.14: 28.8: 13	14:17 7: 0.0: 7.0: 3.7: 7	50:40 7: 14-14 : 14.22: 6.7: 6	49:76 13: 14,6: 21,14: 20,16: 21
Berlin Rebels	30:24 0: 0.7: 7.17: 7.6: 10	21:21 7: 0.7: 6.7: 8.0: 7	19:17 7: 0.0: 10.6: 7.6: 0	51:14 14: 0.17: 7.20: 0.0: 7		55: 7 19: 0.23: 0.13: 7.0: 0	34: 6 13: 0.14: 0.7: 3.0: 3	30:13 0: 0.16: 10.7: 3.7: 0
Berlin eagle	0:52 0: 10.0: 21.0: 7.0: 14	31:68 3: 21.7: 33.7: 14.14: 0	7:37 0: 9.0: 28.0: 0.7: 0	27:42 0: 14.7: 14.14: 7.6: 7	26:49 6: 14.6: 14.0: 7.14: 14		42:39 0: 7.21: 6.0: 6.21: 20	42:49 14: 0.7: 14.7: 14.14: 21
Dusseldorf panther	10:49 3: 21.0: 14.7: 14.0: 0	16:69 6: 21,3: 21,7: 13,0: 14	9:27 0: 14.9: 7.0: 6.0: 0	20:31 14: 14.0: 3.6: 7.0: 7	14:36 8: 8.6: 14.0: 6.0: 8	39:41 0: 7.24: 7.0: 7.15: 20		20:51 0: 14.14: 16.6: 7.0: 14
Hildesheim Invaders	7:52 0: 14.7: 14.0: 24.0: 0	49:77 0: 21.21: 14.21: 14.7: 28	10:42 0: 14.3: 7.0: 0.7: 21	28:30 0: 7.14: 10.7: 0.7: 13	38:41 9: 6.0: 8.14: 20.15: 7	31:15 0: 7.14: 8.10: 0.7: 0	45:37 14: 3,17: 13,7: 8,7: 13

Closing table

Pl.	team	total	home	Away	Points	TD	Diff.
1	New Yorker Lions Braunschweig	14 (11/2/1)	7 (7/0/0)	7 (4/2/1)	24: 40	547: 171	+376
2	Dresden monarchs	14 (10/2/2)	7 (6/1/0)	7 (4/1/2)	22: 60	708: 345	+363
3	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	14 (10/1/3)	7 (6/1/0)	7 (4/0/3)	21: 70	483: 297	+186
4th	Berlin Rebels	14 (10/1/3)	7 (6/1/0)	7 (4/0/3)	21: 70	494: 315	+179
5	Hildesheim Invaders	14 (5/0/9)	7 (2/0/5)	7 (3/0/4)	10:18	445: 569	−124
6th	Hamburg huskies	14 (4/0/10)	7 (1/0/6)	7 (3/0/4)	08:20	370: 629	−259
7th	Berlin eagle	14 (3/0/11)	7 (1/0/6)	7 (2/0/5)	06:22	296: 643	−347
8th	Dusseldorf panther	14 (0/0/14)	7 (0/0/7)	7 (0/0/7)	00:28	270: 644	−374

Explanations:  = qualification for the play-offs; = Relegation
Kiel won the direct comparison against the Berlin Rebels

Group south

Games

GFL South 2016	SHU		StS	SH			RNB
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns		35:34 8: 8.14: 12.0: 8.13: 6	48:14 21: 0.14: 14.7: 0.6: 0	37:14 14: 0.13: 14.7: 0.3: 0	66:27 14: 0.39: 13.6: 7.7: 7	56:25 14: 0.21: 7.21: 6.0: 12	61:12 20: 6.27: 6.7: 0.7: 0	26:21 14: 0.0: 13.0: 8.12: 0
Allgäu Comets	24:56 10: 7.0: 14.14: 21.0: 14		30:24 13: 0.7: 17.7: 7.3: 0	14:16 0: 7.7: 3.0: 6.7: 0	42:10 7: 0.7: 3.7: 7.21: 0	49:16 14: 0.21: 0.0: 7.14: 9	73:35 35: 6.28: 14.0: 7.10: 8	0:10 0: 7.0: 0.0: 3.0: 0
Stuttgart Scorpions	21:48 7: 7.0: 13.0: 21.14: 7	14:35 0: 7.7: 21.7: 7.0: 0		30:35 14: 7.7: 14.3: 7.6: 7	46:10 13: 7.14: 3.13: 0.6: 0	64: 6 27: 0.13: 0.17: 6.7: 0	48: 6 0: 0.14: 6.27: 0.7: 0	43:49 6: 6.21: 15.8: 8.8: 20
Saarland Hurricanes	37:38 0: 14.17: 17.7: 0.13: 7	31:24 0: 14.7: 7.10: 0.14: 3	17:31 0: 10.2: 7.8: 0.7: 14		40:12 16: 0.14: 0.7: 6.3: 6	56:42 14: 14-14 : 14.21: 7.7: 7	59:13 28: 7.14: 6.10: 0.7: 0	3:34 3: 7.0: 7.0: 14.0: 6
Munich cowboys	5:70 3: 14.0: 42.0: 7.2: 7	29:62 0: 14.15: 27.6: 7.8: 14	17:34 3: 7.0: 7.6: 7.8: 13	38:13 0: 0.3: 7.21: 6.14: 0		41:34 3: 14.9: 6.21: 6.8: 8	52:21 14: 14.14: 0.14: 0.10: 7	14:44 0: 7.0: 20.0: 14.14: 3
Marburg Mercenaries	20:49 6: 7.0: 14.0: 14.14: 14	18:44 0: 7.0: 24.12: 7.6: 6	14:30 0: 7.7: 14.0: 6.7: 3	21:42 7: 6.0: 14.7: 7.7: 15	25:43 6: 8.6: 14.6: 21.7: 0		27:15 7: 0.7: 8.7: 7.6: 0	7:40 0: 7.0: 19.0: 0.7: 14
Rhein-Neckar Bandits	0:69 0: 21,0: 21,0: 13,0: 14	14:54 0: 7.6: 21.0: 13.8: 13	24:61 6: 13.6: 17.0: 10.12: 21	0:49 0: 7.0: 14.0: 21.0: 7	14:23 0: 3.14: 7.0: 6.0: 7	10:28 0: 7.10: 0.0: 14.0: 7		0:55 0: 35.0: 13.0: 0.0: 7
Samsung Frankfurt Universe	28:35 0: 7.14: 21.8: 7.6: 0	32: 7 3: 0.13: 7.9: 0.7: 0	48:14 20: 0.14: 0.7: 7.7: 7	36: 3 7: 3.0: 0.22: 0.7: 0	48:14 10: 0.14: 7.14: 7.10: 0	52: 0 7: 0.28: 0.14: 0.3: 0	49: 7 14: 0.21: 7.14: 0.0: 0

Closing table

Pl.	team	total	home	Away	Points	TD	Diff.
1	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	14 (14/0/0)	7 (7/0/0)	7 (7/0/0)	28: 00	694: 282	+412
2	Samsung Frankfurt Universe	14 (12/0/2)	7 (6/0/1)	7 (6/0/1)	24: 40	546: 173	+373
3	Saarland Hurricanes	14 (8/0/6)	7 (4/0/3)	7 (4/0/3)	16:12	415: 370	0+45
4th	Allgäu Comets	14 (8/0/6)	7 (4/0/3)	7 (4/0/3)	16:12	492: 340	+152
5	Stuttgart Scorpions	14 (7/0/7)	7 (3/0/4)	7 (4/0/3)	14:14	474: 387	0+87
6th	Munich cowboys	14 (5/0/9)	7 (3/0/4)	7 (2/0/5)	10:18	335: 559	−224
7th	Marburg Mercenaries	14 (2/0/12)	7 (1/0/6)	7 (1/0/6)	04:24	283: 591	−308
8th	Rhein-Neckar Bandits	14 (0/0/14)	7 (0/0/7)	7 (0/0/7)	00:28	171: 708	−537

Explanations:  = qualification for the play-offs; = Relegation
The Saarland Hurricanes won the direct comparison against the Allgäu Comets

Relegation

North

In the relegation, the Düsseldorf Panthers met the Cologne Crocodiles , the champions of GFL 2 Nord.

	Düsseldorf September 17, 2016 3 p.m.		Dusseldorf panther	0:34	Cologne crocodiles		BSA Benrath spectators: 2,000 Referee: Sauer
				(0: 6, 0: 8, 0: 7, 0:13) Match report

	Cologne October 2, 2016 2:30 p.m.		Cologne crocodiles	28: 0	Dusseldorf panther		BSA Chorweiler Spectators: 2,038 Referee: Stehle
				(14: 0, 7: 0, 0: 0, 7: 0) Match report

south

In the south, the Rhein-Neckar Bandits had to go into relegation and met the Ingolstadt Dukes there , who were able to prevail in GFL 2 South.

	Mannheim September 18, 2016 3 p.m.		Rhein-Neckar Bandits	6:41	Ingolstadt Dukes		Seppl-Herberger-Stadion Spectators: 300 Referee: Stehle
				(0:13, 6:14, 0: 7, 0: 7) Match report

	Ingolstadt October 1, 2016 7:00 p.m.		Ingolstadt Dukes	60: 0	Rhein-Neckar Bandits		ESV Stadium Spectators: 3,000 Referee: Ball
				(18: 0, 21: 0, 7: 0, 14: 0) Match report

Play-offs

Quarterfinals 17./18. September 2016

Semi-finals September 24, 2016

German Bowl XXXVIII October 8, 2016

1N

New York Lions

30th

4S

Allgäu Comets

6th

1N

New York Lions

38

3N

Kiel B. Hurricanes

21st

2S

Frankfurt Universe

3

3N

Kiel B. Hurricanes

10

1N

New York Lions

31

1S

Sister Hall Unicorns

20th

1S

Sister Hall Unicorns

24

4N

Berlin Rebels

14th

1S

Sister Hall Unicorns

35

2N

Dresden monarchs

26th

2N

Dresden monarchs

43

3S

Saarland Hurricanes

7th

Quarter finals

	Schwäbisch Hall September 17th, 2016 5:00 p.m.		Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	24:14	Berlin Rebels		Optima Sportpark spectators: 1,763
				(7: 0, 14: 0, 3: 7, 0: 7) Match report

	Frankfurt am Main September 17, 2016 7:00 p.m.		Samsung Frankfurt Universe	3:10	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes		Volksbank Stadium spectators: 3,812
				(0: 7, 0: 3, 0: 0, 3: 0) Match report

	Dresden September 18, 2016 3 p.m.		Dresden monarchs	43: 7	Saarland Hurricanes		Heinz-Steyer-Stadion spectators: 2,130
				(14: 0, 15: 0, 7: 0, 7: 7) Match report

	Braunschweig September 18, 2016 3:00 p.m.		New Yorker Lions Braunschweig	30: 6	Allgäu Comets		Eintracht Stadium spectators: 3,223
				(7: 0, 10: 6, 6: 0, 7: 0) Match report

Semifinals

	Schwäbisch Hall September 24, 2016 5:00 p.m.		Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	35: 26	Dresden monarchs		Optima Sportpark spectators: 2,928
				(7: 7, 14: 0, 0:10, 14: 9) Match report

	Braunschweig September 24, 2016 6:00 p.m.		New York Lions	38: 21	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes		Eintracht Stadium spectators: 4,019
				(7:14, 17: 0, 7: 0, 7: 7) Match report

German Bowl

→ Main article : German Bowl XXXVIII

			German Bowl XXXVIII
	Berlin October 8, 2016 5:30 p.m.		Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	20:31	New York Lions		Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark Spectators: 13,047 Referee: Tschurer
				(0: 0, 14:14, 0:10, 6: 7) Match report

statistics

Most successful scorer, regular season

Pl.	player	team	position	TD	FG	Saf.	2PC	PAT	Points
1	Patrick Donahue	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	WR	27	-	-	1	-	164
2	Silas Nacita	Marburg Mercenaries	RB	26th	-	-	1	-	158
3	Larry McCoy	Berlin Rebels	RB	24	-	-	2	-	148
4th	Christopher McClendon	Kiel Baltic Hurricanes	RB	24	-	-	1	-	146
5	Matthew Green	Allgäu Comets	WR	21st	-	-	-	-	126
6th	Joseph Bergeron	Dresden monarchs	RB	20th	-	-	-	-	120
	Tyler Rutenbeck	Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns	WR	20th	-	-	-	-	120
8th	Sebastien Sagne	Dresden monarchs	WR	18th	-	-	5	-	118
9	David McCants	New Yorker Lions Braunschweig	RB	18th	-	-	-	-	108
10	Tobias Goebel	New Yorker Lions Braunschweig	K	1	9	-	-	71	104

Audience numbers

society		Regular season										Play-offs
		cut		Home games in detail								Quarter finals	Semifinals
Samsung Frankfurt Universe		3,906		3.126	3,167	3,291	3,015	3.128	4,196	7,416		3.812	-
New Yorker Lions Braunschweig		3,239		3,168	3,507	2,309	2,920	3,181	3,912	3,673		3.223	4.019
Dresden monarchs		2,890		6,861	2,620	1,930	1,480	2,270	2,450	2,620		2.130	-
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes		2,416		3,109	2,724	2,744	1,887	2,587	1,834	2,024		-	-
Allgäu Comets		1,711		1,375	2.122	1,958	2,109	1,500	1,852	1,064		-	-
Stuttgart Scorpions		1,550		1,452	2,025	1,391	972	2,235	1,157	1,621		-	-
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns		1,468		2,413	1.104	1,353	1,471	1,210	1,650	1,078		1,763	2,928
Hildesheim Invaders		1,360		3,486	1,448	786	958	1,001	893	951		-	-
Berlin eagle		1.312		3,348	1,407	948	860	1,076	912	630		-	-
Dusseldorf panther		1,240		1,500	1,100	1,200	1,200	1,080	1,100	1,500		-	-
Saarland Hurricanes		1,122		1,494	1,025	798	1.005	1,026	1,021	1,485		-	-
Munich cowboys		1,098		1,547	1,117	1,397	1,148	623	837	1,017		-	-
Hamburg huskies		964		1,088	578	1,071	1,510	533	1,197	770		-	-
Berlin Rebels		843		1,143	655	700	1.103	350	1,433	516		-	-
Marburg Mercenaries		771		972	899	869	650	1,250	420	340		-	-
Rhein-Neckar Bandits		493		700	800	300	1,000	300	200	150		-	-

Average attendance regular season GFL	1,649
Average attendance regular season group north	1,783
Average attendance regular season group south	1,515

Information according to gfl.info

Web links

• Official GFL homepage