All clubs from the 3. Liga and below could enter the regional Verbandspokale, subject to the rules and regulations of each region. Clubs from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga could not enter but were instead directly qualified for the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Reserve teams were not permitted to take part in the DFB-Pokal or the Verbandspokale. The precise rules of each regional Verbandspokal are laid down by the regional football association organising it.[2][3]
All twenty one winners qualified for the first round of the German Cup in the following season. Three additional clubs are also qualified for the first round of the German Cup, these being from the three largest state associations, Bavaria, Westphalia and Lower Saxony. The qualified teams are the runners-up of the Lower Saxony Cup. In Bavaria the best-placed Regionalliga Bayern non-reserve team was qualified for the DFB-Pokal while in Westphalia a play-off is conducted to determine this club.[1]
On 2 November 2016, it was announced that German broadcaster ARD would show all 21 Verbandspokal finals live in a conference as well as live stream them and that all finals would be played on the same date, 25 May 2017.[4]
Competitions
The finals of the 2016–17 Verbandspokal competitions:
^As one of the three largest regional associations, Bavaria gets and additional DFB-Pokal birth, which goes to the best non-reserve team of the Regionalliga Bayern.[5]
^As one of the three largest regional associations, Lower Saxony gets an additional DFB-Pokal birth, which goes to the losing cup finalist.[5]
^As one of the three largest regional associations, Westphalia gets and additional DFB-Pokal birth, which goes to the winner of a play-off between the best-placed team in the Regionalliga West and the winner of the Oberliga Westfalen.[5]
References
^ abModus(in German)DFB website – Mode, accessed: 9 April 2015