3. LIGA

The 3. Liga is a professional association football league and the third division in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga.

The modern 3. Liga was formed for the 2008–09 season, replacing the Regionalliga, which had previously served as the third-tier in the country. In Germany, the 3. Liga is also the highest division that a club's reserve team can play in.

The 3. Liga was created in 2008 as part of a major restructuring of the German football league system. The Regionalliga, which had been the third division since 1963, was disbanded and replaced by the 3. Liga. The 3. Liga initially consisted of 20 teams, but this was increased to 22 teams in 2012.