The German Football League kicks off this weekend as 15 teams look to hit the field in what many experts say is Europe’s best domestic league. After many players, coaches, and fans seemed to flock to the ELF, the German Football League looks to continue building with new innovations for the 2023 season, introducing several new procedures for teams, including minimum standards and inter-conference play.
Learn more about all 15 teams in our previews below:
See our GFL North Preview here:
See our GFL South Preview here:
The GFL’s New Minimum Standards:
In December, the ERIMA GFL board met and agreed on several necessary developments for the league. These standards go across multiple areas including social media, live streaming, and other organisation must-haves.
Last season the GFL expanded its media presence partnering with Sportdeutschland.TV for live streams. Christoph Wolk, the GFL’s head of finance, has also promised significant funds for the media communication of the GFL and its livestream production subsidiaries.
Overall, the league’s new requirements included s a total of 40 different specifications and requirements in the areas of playing field structure, appearance, match day organisation, live streaming, public relations and implementation of the corporate identity that teams will have to comply to in 2023.
Die Saison 2023 steht vor der Tür. Sichere Dir jetzt Deinen Streaming-Pass für die ERIMA GFL auf @SportDE_TV . Weitere Informationen findest Du unter https://t.co/b3lLetBV5U#thisisgflfootball #gfl #americanfootball #livestream #sportstream pic.twitter.com/Nfkx41cQ57
— German Football League (@GFLinfo) April 28, 2023
2023 Features Interconference Play:
After 11 years without regular season games between the North and South, the GFL will have each team play an opponent from the opposing conference twice next season. The board highlighted exciting postseason matchups such as the Potsdam Royals and Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns playing this Saturday at 17:00 CET.
“We’re looking forward to exciting IC games that are interesting for everyone involved,” says Jörg Dreßler, who is responsible for game operations on the GFL league board. “The offer of the Erima GFL for the fans and partners is thus expanded and upgraded.”
GFL Championship Game, Oct. 8 2022 Potsdam RB Karri Pajarinen looking for running room Photo: Manfred Loffler
2023 GFL Updated Schedule
Following the departure of the Cologne Crocodiles in late April the league scrambled to create a new schedule which can be found here:
| Date | Time | Games | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/20 | 5:00 p.m | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns vs. Potsdam Royals | |||
| 5/20 | 5:00 p.m | Straubing Spiders vs. New York Lions Braunschweig | |||
| 5/20 | 5:00 p.m | Berlin Adler vs. Berlin Rebels | |||
| 05/21 | 3:00 p.m | Marburg Mercenaries vs. Dresden Monarchs | |||
| 05/21 | 3:00 p.m | Paderborn Dolphins vs Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | |||
| 05/21 | 3:00 p.m | Allgau Comets vs. Saarland Hurricanes | |||
| 05/21 | 3:00 p.m | ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg vs. Ingolstadt Dukes | |||
| 05/27 | 3:00 p.m | Berlin Rebels vs. Marburg Mercenaries | |||
| 05/27 | 6:00 p.m | New York Lions Braunschweig vs. Paderborn Dolphins | |||
| 05/27 | 6:30 p.m | Ingolstadt Dukes vs Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns | |||
| 03.06. | 4:00 p.m | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes vs. New York Lions Braunschweig | |||
| 03.06. | 4:00 p.m | Potsdam Royals vs Paderborn Dolphins | |||
| 03.06. | 5:00 p.m | Berlin Adler vs. Straubing Spiders | |||
| 04.06. | 3:00 p.m | Dresden Monarchs vs Berlin Rebels | |||
| 04.06. | 3:00 p.m | ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg vs. Allgäu Comets | |||
| 04.06. | 3:00 p.m | Marburg Mercenaries vs. Munich Cowboys | |||
| 10.06. | 3:00 p.m | Berlin Rebels vs Potsdam Royals | |||
| 10.06. | 3:00 p.m | Straubing Spiders vs. ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg | |||
| 10.06. | 4:00 p.m | Munich Cowboys vs. Saarland Hurricanes | |||
| 10.06. | 6:00 p.m | New York Lions Braunschweig vs. Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns | |||
| 11.06. | 3:00 p.m | Paderborn Dolphins vs. Berlin Adler | |||
| 06/17 | 4:00 p.m | Potsdam Royals vs Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | |||
| 06/17 | 4:00 p.m | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns vs. Ingolstadt Dukes | |||
| 06/17 | 5:00 p.m | Saarland Hurricanes vs Straubing Spiders | |||
| 06/17 | 6:00 p.m | Dresden Monarchs vs. Berlin Adler | |||
| 06/18 | 3:00 p.m | Paderborn Dolphins vs Berlin Rebels | |||
| 06/18 | 3:00 p.m | Allgau Comets vs. Munich Cowboys | |||
| 06/18 | 3:00 p.m | ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg vs. Marburg Mercenaries | |||
| 24.06. | 3:00 p.m | Allgau Comets vs. Berlin Adler | |||
| 24.06. | 4:00 p.m | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes vs. ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg | |||
| 24.06. | 4:00 p.m | Munich Cowboys vs Straubing Spiders | |||
| 24.06. | 5:00 p.m | Potsdam Royals vs. Dresden Monarchs | |||
| 24.06. | 5:00 p.m | Saarland Hurricanes vs. Ingolstadt Dukes | |||
| 25.06. | 3:00 p.m | New York Lions Braunschweig vs. Berlin Rebels | |||
| 01.07./ 02.07. |
TBD | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes vs. Berlin Rebels | |||
| 01.07. | 3:00 p.m | Dresden Monarchs vs Saarland Hurricanes | |||
| 01.07. | 5:00 p.m | ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg vs. Paderborn Dolphins | |||
| 01.07. | 5:00 p.m | Berlin Adler vs. Potsdam Royals | |||
| 01.07. | 6:30 p.m | Ingolstadt Dukes vs Munich Cowboys | |||
| 02.07. | 3:00 p.m | Marburg Mercenaries vs. Allgau Comets | |||
| 02.07. | 3:00 p.m | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns vs. Straubing Spiders | |||
| 08.07. | 3:00 p.m | Allgau Comets vs Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns | |||
| 08.07. | 3:00 p.m | Straubing Spiders vs. Ingolstadt Dukes | |||
| 08.07. | 4:00 p.m | Potsdam Royals vs. New York Lions Braunschweig | |||
| 08.07. | 4:00 p.m | Munich Cowboys vs. Marburg Mercenaries | |||
| 08.07. | 5:00 p.m | Berlin Adler vs. Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | |||
| 08.07. | 5:00 p.m | Saarland Hurricanes vs. ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg | |||
| 22.07. | 3:00 p.m | Allgäu Comets vs. ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg | |||
| 22.07. | 4:00 p.m | Munich Cowboys vs. New York Lions Braunschweig | |||
| 23.07. | 3:00 p.m | Marburg Mercenaries vs. Ingolstadt Dukes | |||
| 07/29 | 4:00 p.m | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes vs. Berlin Adler | |||
| 07/29 | 5:00 p.m | ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg vs. Munich Cowboys | |||
| 07/29 | 5:00 p.m | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns vs. Saarland Hurricanes | |||
| 07/29 | 6:30 p.m | Ingolstadt Dukes vs Straubing Spiders | |||
| 07/30 | 3:00 p.m | Paderborn Dolphins vs Dresden Monarchs | |||
| 07/30 | 3:00 p.m | Allgau Comets vs. Marburg Mercenaries | |||
| 05.08./ 06.08. |
Berlin Rebels vs. Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | ||||
| 05.08. | 3:00 p.m | Dresden Monarchs vs. New York Lions Braunschweig | |||
| 05.08. | 3:00 p.m | Straubing Spiders vs Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns | |||
| 05.08. | 5:00 p.m | Saarland Hurricanes vs. Marburg Mercenaries | |||
| 06.08. | 3:00 p.m | Paderborn Dolphins vs Potsdam Royals | |||
| 12.08./ 13.08. |
New York Lions Braunschweig vs. Berlin Adler | ||||
| 08/12 | 3:00 p.m | Berlin Rebels vs Paderborn Dolphins | |||
| 08/12 | 4:00 p.m | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes vs. Dresden Monarchs | |||
| 08/12 | 4:00 p.m | Munich Cowboys vs. Allgau Comets | |||
| 08/12 | 5:00 p.m | ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg vs Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns | |||
| 08/12 | 6:30 p.m | Ingolstadt Dukes vs Saarland Hurricanes | |||
| 19.08./ 20.08. |
Potsdam Royals vs. Munich Cowboys | ||||
| 19.08./ 20.08. |
Berlin Rebels vs. Dresden Monarchs | ||||
| 19.08./ 20.08. |
Straubing Spiders vs. Allgau Comets | ||||
| 26.08./ 27.08. |
New York Lions Braunschweig vs. Allgau Comets | ||||
| 08/26 | 3:00 p.m | Dresden Monarchs vs Potsdam Royals | |||
| 08/26 | 5:00 p.m | Saarland Hurricanes vs Berlin Rebels | |||
| 08/26 | 5:00 p.m | Berlin Adler vs. Paderborn Dolphins | |||
| 08/26 | 5:00 p.m | Schwabisch Hall Unicorns vs. Munich Cowboys | |||
| 08/26 | 6:30 p.m | Ingolstadt Dukes vs. Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | |||
| 08/27 | 3:00 p.m | Marburg Mercenaries vs. ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg | |||
| 02.09. | 3:00 p.m | Berlin Rebels vs. New York Lions Braunschweig | |||
| 02.09. | 4:00 p.m | Kiel Baltic Hurricanes vs Potsdam Royals | |||
| 02.09. | 5:00 p.m | Berlin Adler vs. Dresden Monarchs | |||
| 02.09. | 5:00 p.m | Schwaebisch Hall Unicorns vs. Marburg Mercenaries | |||
| 02.09. | 6:00 p.m | Straubing Spiders vs. Saarland Hurricanes | |||
| 03.09. | 3:00 p.m | Paderborn Dolphins vs Ingolstadt Dukes | |||
| 09.09./ 10.09. |
Potsdam Royals vs. Berlin Adler | ||||
| 09.09. | 3:00 p.m | Dresden Monarchs vs Paderborn Dolphins | |||
| 09.09. | 4:00 p.m | Munich Cowboys vs. ifm Razorbacks Ravensburg | |||
| 09.09. | 5:00 p.m | Saarland Hurricanes vs Schwabisch Hall Unicorns | |||
| 09.09. | 6:30 p.m | Ingolstadt Dukes vs. Allgau Comets | |||
| 10.09. | 3:00 p.m | New York Lions Braunschweig vs. Kiel Baltic Hurricanes | |||
| 10.09. | 3:00 p.m | Marburg Mercenaries vs Straubing Spiders | |||
| 23.09./ 24.09. |
1st North vs. 4th South | ||||
| 23.09./ 24.09. |
1st South vs. 4th North | ||||
| 23.09./ 24.09. |
2nd North vs. 3rd South | ||||
| 23.09./ 24.09. |
2nd South vs. 3rd North | ||||
| 30.09./ 01.10. |
Winner QF vs. Winner QF | ||||
| 30.09./ 01.10. |
Winner QF vs. Winner QF | ||||
| 14.10. | 6:00 p.m | Winner semi-finals vs. Winner semi-finals |