The German Football Association (DFB) is pushing for a definitive structural overhaul of the country’s lower divisions to resolve a long-standing promotion impasse. According to reports from public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, DFB General Secretary Blask, working alongside the relevant vice presidents, has been tasked with preparing an Extraordinary Federal Congress scheduled for December 18, 2026. The assembly will vote on a structural shift designed to replace the current five-tier Regionalliga setup with a streamlined four-division model, ensuring that every divisional champion earns automatic promotion to the 3.Liga without enduring a postseason playoff.
For years, the existing promotion regulations have drawn intense criticism from club executives, players, and supporters alike. Under the current setup, five regional champions compete for promotion spots, forcing teams into high-stakes promotion playoffs. High-profile instances have laid bare the volatility of the system; most notably, the Saxon club Lokomotive Leipzig missed out on promotion three separate times despite winning their division title, falling short in the subsequent playoff rounds.
“Sie muss jetzt gelöst werden. Es ist für die Vereine, Spieler und Fans kaum nachvollziehbar, dass es fünf Meister gibt, aber nicht alle den Aufstieg in die 3. Liga schaffen können,” DFB President Neuendorf stated in an official association release published by Deutschlandfunk.
The Kompass Model and Regional Resistance
At the center of the DFB’s push is the so-called “Kompassmodell” (Compass Model). Under this framework, the four new Regionalliga divisions would each house 20 teams. Crucially, league lineups would be recalibrated ahead of every single campaign using geographic criteria.
According to Deutschlandfunk’s reporting on the timeline, the 2027–28 campaign would serve as an official qualification season, paving the way for the full four-division structure to take effect ahead of the 2028–29 season.
Achieving consensus has proven remarkably difficult. A previous reform attempt collapsed in late June when regional associations fractured along geographical lines. Club officials in the West (60.9 percent), North (61.5 percent), and Northeast (76.3 percent) favored the Kompass Model. However, resistance ran deep elsewhere. In the Southwest, 93.1 percent of voting stakeholders backed an alternative “Regionenmodell”—a layout that would carve just two divisions out of the combined footprints of the North, Northeast, and Bayern leagues. Meanwhile, in Bavaria, 52.4 percent of participants voted in favor of drafting entirely different structural proposals.
Next Steps Ahead of December Congress
With the Extraordinary Federal Congress officially set for December 18, 2026, the DFB has drawn a hard line under years of inconclusive debate. Regional representatives face a compressed timeline to negotiate compromises before delegates cast their binding votes.
Fans and club officials tracking the developments can monitor official updates and announcements directly through the Deutscher Fußball-Bund portal as the association finalizes documentation ahead of the December vote.
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