The Handball-Oberliga Hamburg - Schleswig-Holstein (OL-HH / SH) is one of the twelve squadrons of the Handball-Oberliga of the German Handball Federation and the highest division of the two independent regional associations Hamburg (HHV) and Schleswig-Holstein (HVSH), which for superior regional association of the Northeast German Handball Association (NOHV). However, this association was dissolved on June 30, 2012, so that these state associations are currently not subordinate to any regional association. After the Bundesliga , the 2nd Bundesliga and the 3rd League, the Oberliga is the fourth highest division in German handball . In the 2012/13 season, 71 clubs in six different age groups play in the Hamburg - Schleswig-Holstein Oberliga.
In the course of the introduction of the single-track 2nd handball Bundesliga and the abolition of the previous five regional leagues in favor of the four-tier 3rd division, the number of promoters from the fourth-tier upper leagues to the third tier was significantly reduced. According to the plans of the DHB, the handball associations of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, which previously had one promoted player in their own league, were only entitled to a joint promotion to the third division. As in all other regions of Germany, the two associations were free to decide whether they wanted to form a joint league or whether they wanted to play off their joint promoted team at the end of the point round via relegation games. The HVSH and the HHV decided on April 23, 2009 for the first option and introduced a joint league above their highest association division - renamed the Schleswig-Holstein League and Hamburg League as a result.
In the course of a league reform, it replaced the upper leagues Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg at the fourth-highest league level in the 2010/11 season and determined a promoted player to the third division in both men's and women's handball. The upper league also exists in the A and B youth and is used here to determine a participant in the German youth championship.
For both men and women, the league normally consists of 14 teams, of which the HVSH was entitled to nine places in the first season and the HHV to five places (including relegated regional leagues). Basically, the champions of the upper league are promoted, while the teams in the last two places are relegated and replaced by the champions of the two association leagues. Additional or reduced relegation from the next higher divisions can lead to more or fewer relegations from the league.
There are basically no differences in the game mode between the men's and women's upper leagues, while there are different provisions in some financial matters - such as the division fee and the compensation of the referees.
In the A and B youth, the league was introduced for the 2011/12 season. Apart from the male A-youth, it is the highest division to be achieved for the youth teams of the HVSH and the HHV and comprises ten to twelve teams. The champions of the female and male B-youth (up to 2012/13 also the master of the female A-youth) take part in the German championship of their age group; the master of the male B-Youth is also automatically qualified for the A-Youth-Bundesliga for the following season.
