[4] A national league, originally the American Football Bundesliga, later to be renamed the German Football League,[5] was formed in 1979, consisting of six clubs, the Frankfurter Löwen, Ansbach Grizzlies, Düsseldorf Panther, Munich Cowboys, Berlin Bears and Bremerhaven Seahawks.

[6] In 1980 and 1981, the league and American football in Germany saw a split with Düsseldorf and Bremerhaven leaving the competition to take part in a separate, short-lived competition, the Nordwestdeutsche Football-Liga - NFL, but, by 1982, union was restored and the renegade teams returned.

[7] In 1981, the German national team was formed, winning its first-ever international, a game against Italy, 12–6.

[1] American football started to boom in Germany from the early 1990s onwards, initiated through the Frankfurt Galaxy, which attracted many younger fans to the sport and also provided some media attention.

[8] As of 1 January 2010, the AFVD announced a new record membership of 40,051, and increase of 7.31 percent in comparison to the previous year.

The associations growth since the year 2000, when it had 18,875 members, is mainly due to the improved youth programs of its clubs.