winners of the Bundesliga are crowned German football champions. The bottom two Bundesliga teams are relegated to 2. Bundesliga, whereas the champion and runner-up of 2. Bundesliga are promoted to the top flight. Additionally, the third-last ranked team of Bundesliga and the third-best ranked team of 2. Bundesliga play a promotion/relegation playoff for the final spot in the next Bundesliga edition. The bottom two 2. Bundesliga teams are relegated to 3. Liga, whereas the champion and runner-up of 3. Liga are promoted to the second flight. Additionally, the third-last ranked team of 2. Bundesliga and the third-best ranked team of 3. Liga play a promotion/relegation playoff for the final spot in the next 2. Bundesliga edition. The bottom four teams of 3. Liga are relegated to Regionalliga. Regional association league systems Whereas the professional first three levels of the German football league system each are single division only and are organised by nationwide governing bodies, the semi-professional level four Regionalliga comprises five independent divisions, each run by different regional and/or state associations. Three regional bodies, being the Northern German Football Association, the North East German Football Association and the Western German Football Association, each run a division under their sole jurisdiction, these being the corresponding Regionalliga Nord, the Regionalliga Nordost and the Regionalliga West. The two regional bodies Southwestern Regional Football Association and Southern German Football Association share the jurisdiction on the Regionalliga Südwest. Finally, the Bavarian Football Association, although being just a subordinate state association to the superior Southern German Football Association, runs the Regionalliga Bayern, by far the largest single state football association in Germany. As an exception to the regular promotion rules within the German league system, not all champions of each Regionalliga division are granted automatic promotion. Instead only the Regionalliga West and Southwest each provide a fixed direct promotion. Another direct promotion place is assigned according to a rotation principle among the Regionalliga Nord, Nordost, and Bayern champions. The representatives from the remaining two Regionalligen determine the fourth promoted club in two-legged playoffs. Northern Germany The Northern German Football Association league system is the regional association league system in the states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein and starts at level four of the German league system with the Regionalliga Nord on top. The champions enter a promotion playoff along with the winners of the four other Regionalliga divisions and the Regionalliga Südwest runner-up