Bezirksliga

The Bezirksliga (also known as the East German District Championships) were regional competitions contested in East Germany. All 15 Bezirks (districts) of East Germany were allowed to hold a competition prior to the over haul of the league system in 1970, though often times competitions were not contested in certain Bezirks, or match results failed to be reported. Post 1970, some district competitions were merged.

Format
District teams were initially eligible for promotion to the DDR-Oberliga, but after the foundation of the 1. Liga for the 1952-53 season, they were only able to qualify for promotion to that league. After the 2. Liga was founded for the 1955-56 season, it became the league that Bezirksliga champions vied for promotion to. The Gruppenliga became the new third tier league for the 1962-63 season and teams from the Bezirksliga were eligible to be promoted to it, just as they were with the 2. Liga. Beginning with the 1965-66 season, the Gruppenliga was contested as the second-level East German league, and Bezikrsliga teams retained the opportunity to be promoted to the league. Ice hockey in East Germany was fundamentally restructured for the 1970-71 season, with the DDR-Oberliga being reduced to two teams, the Gruppenliga being shuttered, and some Districts getting merged. In place of the Gruppenliga, an unofficial competition, the DDR-Bestenermittlung was created, and that league became the new landing spot for promoted Bezirksliga squads. From 1970-71 to 1973-74, district winners were allowed to register for the following season of play in the DDR-Bestenermittlung. Starting with the 1974-75 season, a playoff between the various Bezirksliga champions was held to decide the team that would participate in the promotion/relegation round of the DDR-Bestenermittlung. The playoff was not contested in the 1988-89 season due to ongoing social changes in East Germany. It did not take place in 1989-90 either, due to German reunification.