Bundesliga could not enter but were instead directly qualified for the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
[2][3] All twenty-one winners qualified for the first round of the German Cup in the following season.
Three additional clubs also qualified for the first round of the German Cup, these being from the three largest state associations, Bavaria, Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
In Bavaria the best-placed non-reserve Regionalliga Bayern team qualified for the DFB-Pokal while in Westphalia the best-placed non-reserve Oberliga Westfalen team qualified.
[5] The finals of the 2021–22 Verbandspokal competitions (winners listed in bold):