As in many other sports, the premier German club competition in 10 metre air rifle and 10 metre air pistol is known as the Bundesliga. The league, open to both men and women, was created in 1997 and is administered by the German Shooting Federation. In each discipline, twenty four teams of five shooters each compete during a season spanning from October to February for the German team championship. Apart from the top German shooters, the league also attracts many shooters from other European countries, as well as a few from India and the United States, and involves a number of Olympic medalists and other shooters of international success.
League format
Match format The Bundesliga matches mainly follow the International Shooting Sport Federation's rules for air rifle and air pistol, with the following important changes: All shooters fire only 40 competition shots.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.1.6 The sighting shots are not included in the match time. Instead there is a 15-minute sighting shot period before the match.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.1.6 The match time is lowered to 50 minutes.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.1.6 (Only electronic targets are allowed in the Bundesliga.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.3.1 When in lower leagues paper targets are used, the match time is 60 minutes.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.1.6) The shooters are paired up based on previous results so that the top shooters from both teams stand next to each other, and so on down.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.0.3 The shooter achieving the best 40-shot result in each pair wins a point for his or her team. Ties are resolved by firing single shots as needed.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.1.2–1.1.3 Thus, a match can be won by either 5–0, 4–1 or 3–2.
The match format of the Bundesliga has been so successful that the European Shooting Confederation mirrored it when creating the ESC Youth League for national teams of young shooters.
Regular season Each Bundesliga consists of two divisions of twelve teams each:DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 0.1.6 and "Landesverbände" Northern division (Bundesliga Nord) covering Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia and the northern part of Rhineland-Palatinate Southern division (Bundesliga Süd) covering Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saarland and the southern part of Rhineland-Palatinate
A single round-robin of eleven match days is conducted in each division during October–December or October–January. As shooting is a sport where the club league forms only a part of the competition season, the matches are concentrated to six weekends, organized in such a way that the clubs that placed 1–10 during the previous season have two home-range matches while the remaining two teams only have one each. In the table, teams are ranked on the number of won matches; tie-breaking criteria are 1) number of individual points won, 2) results between the concerned teams, 3) number of won points on first position (etc.).DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.1.4
Finals The top four teams of each division reach the finals (Bundesligafinale), held during a single weekend in February at the same location for both air rifle and air pistol. Quarterfinals and semifinals are held on Saturday, and bronze and gold medal matches on Sunday.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.6.1–1.6.3
Promotion and relegation Below the Bundesliga are five regional leagues: Regionalliga Nord, Regionalliga West and Regionalliga Ost below the northern division; Regionalliga Südwest and Regionalliga Süd below the southern division.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 0.1.7 The twelfth-placed team of each Bundesliga division is automatically relegated to the appropriate regional league.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.4.5 The eleventh-placed team competes together with the two top teams of each regional league for two spots in next year's Bundesliga.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 1.4.3
Below the regional leagues, there are leagues managed by each Landesverband (in northern Germany, these generally follow the state borders, while the large states in the south are divided into several Landesverbände)."Landesverbände"
Winners The following clubs have become German champions since the inception of the Bundesliga.
SeasonAir rifleAir pistol1997–1998SV Affalterbach (1/3) PSV Olympia Berlin (1/5)1998–1999SV Affalterbach (2/3) PSV Olympia Berlin (2/5)1999–2000Kgl. Priv. FSG "Der Bund" München (1/3) PSV Olympia Berlin (3/5)2000–2001Kgl. Priv. FSG "Der Bund" München (2/3) PSV Olympia Berlin (4/5)2001–2002BSV Buer-Bülse (1/3) VSS Haltern (1/2)2002–2003Jozef Gönci (Slovakia)Torsten KrebsAlexandra SchneiderTino MohauptNadine MasuthUwe PotteckMartin Tenk (Czech Republic)Gernot EderDaniel BarnerHolger Buchmann2003–2004Lioubov Galkina (Russia)Angela KugeleSandra KochBeate GaussFrank KöstelFranck Dumoulin (France)Michael PeirickAlbert GrieskampKlaus LindemannSven Hartmann2004–2005Alexandra SchneiderDorothee BauerJozef Gönci (Slovakia)Nadine MasuthTorsten KrebsVladimir Gontcharov (Russia)Leo BraunPatrik LengererWolfgang RennerFranz Möndel2005–2006Marco De Nicolo (Italy)Damian KontnyEva SchmitzDirk LeiwenAndre KnopLeo BraunVladimir Gontcharov (Russia)Patrik LengererWolfgang RennerFranz Möndel2006–2007Barbara LechnerMatthew Emmons (United States)Simone LeglFranz SchreinerKarin SteinbauerAbdullah UstaogluSwen JülleMarkus AbtThomas AlbiezChristian Schebasta2007–2008Kateřina Emmons (Czech Republic)Jürgen WallowskyMichaela WagnerClaudia HuberSabrina BärVladimir Gontcharov (Russia)Leo BraunPatrick LengererWolfgang RennerMichael Peirick2008–2009Sabrina BärMichaela WagnerJürgen WallowskyAdéla Sýkorová (Czech Republic)Claudia HuberRoberto Di Donna (Italy)Munkhbayar DorjsurenSebastian RosnerThomas KarschChristoph Schultheiß2009–2010HSG München (1/3)SGI Waldenburg (4/9)2010–2011Kgl. Priv. FSG "Der Bund" München (3/3)SGI Waldenburg (5/9)2011–2012SSV St. Hubertus Elsen (2/5)SGI Waldenburg (6/9)2012–2013HSG München (1/2)SV Kriftel (1/2)2013–2014HSG München (2/2)SGI Waldenburg (7/9)2014–2015SG Coburg (3/3)SV Kelheim-Gmünd (2/5)2015–2016SSV St. Hubertus Elsen (3/5)SV Waldkirch2016–2017SSV St. Hubertus Elsen (4/5)SV Kelheim-Gmünd (3/5)2017–2018SB FreiheitSV Kriftel (2/2)2018–2019SSG Kevelaer (1/4)SGI Waldenburg (8/9)2019–2020SSG Kevelaer (2/4)Braunschweiger SG 15452021–2022SSG Kevelaer (3/4)SGI Waldenburg (9/9)2022–2023SSG Kevelaer (4/4)SV Kelheim-Gmünd (4/5)2023–2024SV WieckenbergSV Kelheim-Gmünd (5/5)2024–2025SSV ST Hubertus Elsen (5/5)ESV Weil am Rhein (2/2)
Current clubs The following clubs are qualified for the 2018–2019 season. Ranks from the previous season are in parentheses, the defending champions in bold and promoted teams in italics.
Air rifle
Northern divisionSouthern divisionBraunschweiger SG 1545Eichenlaub SaltendorfBSV Buer-BülseFSG KemptenSB FreiheitKgl. Priv. FSG "Der Bund" MünchenSG 1920 MengshausenKgl. Priv. FSG TittingSSG KevelaerKKS KönigsbachSSV St. Hubertus Elsen SG Coburg SV GölzauSV BuchSV Olympia 72 Börm/DörpstedtSV Germania Prittlbach SV KamenSV NiederlauterbachSV WieckenbergSV PetersaurachTuS HilgertSV Pfeil Vöhringen Wissener SVSSG Dynamit Fürth
Air pistol
Northern divisionSouthern divisionBraunschweiger SGESV Weil am RheinFreischütz WathlingenHSG MünchenGTV Bremerhaven-SeestadtteufelKKS HambrückenPSV Olympia BerlinSGi LudwigsburgSp.Sch. FahrdorfSgi WaldenburgSpsch RaesfeldSSG Dynamit FürthSSG Teutoburger WaldSV Altheim WaldhausenSSV Bad WesternkottenSV Kelheim-GmündSV 1935 KriftelSV Murrhardt-KarnsbergSV Bassum von 1848SV PeitingSV Falke DasbachSV WaldkirchSV Schirumer LeegmoorTSV Ötlingen - SpSchAbtl.
Foreign shooters Of the five shooters entered in a match, at least four must be German citizens.DSB-Ligaordnung 2009-2010, 0.3.1.2 Despite this rule, many prominent foreigners participate in the league. The list of foreign shooters registered for the 2018–19 seasonListe der ausländischen Sportler, p. 2–3 includes the following shooters (although all did not compete in every match):
NameCountryDisciplineDivisionClubBest Olympic resultCamilla AndersenRifleNorthBraunschweiger SG 1545Katarina BisercicRifleNorthSV Olympia 72 Börm/DörpstedtJorge DiazRifleNorthSB Freiheit27th, men's air rifle 2016Tomasz BartnikRifleNorthSV GölzauMaxime BruninRifleNorthSV KamenAlexander DriaginRifleNorthSG 1920 MengshausenChristoph DürrRifleSouthFSG KemptenŽiva DvoršakRifleSouthSV Petersaurach11th, women's air rifle 2012Matthew EmmonsRifleSouthDer Bund München1st, men's prone 2004Judith GomezRifleSouthKKS KönigsbachPetar GoršaRifleNorthSSG Kevelaer7th, men's air rifle 2016Mikkel HansenRifleNorthSV Olympia 72 Börm/DörpstedtPeter HellenbrandRifleNorthST Hubertus Elsen5th, men's air rifle 2012Olivia HofmannRifleSouthSV Niederlauterbach5th, women's three positions 2016Michael HöllwarthRifleSouthSV PetersaurachIllia CharheikaRifleNorthSV Gölzau6th, men's air rifle 2016Rikke IbsenRifleNorthBraunschweiger SG 1545Sergey KamenskiyRifleSouthSV Pfeil Vöhringen2nd, men's three positions 2016Henrik LarsenRifleNorthSV WieckenbergPetra LustenbergerRifleSouthSV BuchJan LochbihlerRifleNorthSG 1920 Mengshausen14th, men's prone 2016Stephan MartzRifleNorthTuS HilgertThomas MathisRifleSouthFSG Kempten17h, men's prone 2016Nikola MazurováRifleSouthSG Coburg18th, women's air rifle 2016Alin MoldoveanuRifleNorthSB Freiheit1st, men's air rifle 2012Mandy MulderRifleNorthSG 1920 MengshausenElania NardelliRifleSouthSSG Dynamit-Fürth35th, women's three positions 2012Agnieszka NagayRifleNorthSV Kamen8th, women's three positions 2012Stine NielsenRifleNorthSV Wieckenberg9th, women's air rifle 2012Alena NiskoshapskaiaRifleNorthSV KamenAyonika PaulRifleSouthSV Petersaurach47th, women's air rifle 2016István PéniRifleNorthBSV Buer-Bülse12th, men's three positions 2016Daniela Demjen PeškováRifleSouthKgl. Priv. FSG Titting9th, women's air rifle 2008Borna PetanjekRifleNorthSB FreiheitLine PetermannRifleNorthSV Olympia 72 Börm/DörpstedtPierre-Edmond PiaseckiRifleSouthDer Bund München6th, men's air rifle 2012Bernhard PicklRifleSouthSG CoburgMarlene PribitzerRifleSouthKgl. Priv. FSG TittingSergey RichterRifleNorthSSG Kevelaer9th, men's air rifle 2012Anton RizovRifleSouthKKS Königsbach22nd, men's air rifle 2012Gernot RumplerRifleNorthBSV Buer-Bülse32nd, men's air rifle 2016Milenko SebićRifleSouthSV Pfeil Vöhringen11th, men's three positions 2016Pea SmeetsRifleNorthWissener SVPeter SomogylRifleSouthEichenlaub SaltendorfMilutin StefanovicRifleNorthTuS Hilgert12th, men's air rifle 2016Jenny SteneRifleNorthBSV Buer-BülseMartin StrempflRifleSouthSV Germania PrittlbachNicolas ThielRifleNorthSV WieckenbergOleh TsarkovRifleSouthSV Pfeil Vöhringen8th, men's air rifle 2016Adam VeresRifleNorthWissener SVSanja VukasinovicRifleNorthWissener SVGabriela VognarováRifleSouthKgl. Priv. FSG TittingSimon WeithalerRifleSouthSV NiederlauterbachGeorg ZottRifleSouthSSG Dynamit-FürthPetra ZublasingRifleNorthTuS Hilgert4th, women's three positions 2016Fernanda RussoRifleSouthFSG Kempten20th, Shooting at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's 10 metre air rifleMarcelo Julian GutierrezRifleSouthFSG Kempten
Notes
References "Landesverbände" - Deutscher Schützenbund e.V. Ligaordnung des Deutschen Schützenbundes e.V. 2009-2010, 1 May 2009 Liste der ausländischen Sportler des Bundes- und Regionalliga Saison 2008 / 2009
External links Official website