Its highest division, the Regionalliga Bayern, is currently the fourth tier of German football.
FC Sonthofen in 1986, the Bezirksoberligas were introduced in Bavaria, set between the already existing Landesligas and Bezirksligas.
In the Bezirke who did not follow suit, like Schwaben, the reserve teams of clubs in the Kreisliga and below still compete in separate, parallel leagues.
The Bavarian football federation carried out drastic changes to the league system at the end of the 2011–12 season.
Below those, five Landesligas instead of the existing three were set, which were geographically divided to limit travel and increase the number of local derbies.
Regulations were slowly lowered and, in 1980, reserve teams of Landesliga clubs were permitted to enter the league pyramid, too.
Bavaria was however slow to allow all reserve sides to enter the league system, differing in this from most other German associations.
Eventually, this hurdle was dropped too, but the final decision was awarded to the individual Bezirke.
Additionally, a women's youth league system also exists with the Under 17 Bayernliga as its highest tier.
Below the Bayernliga, two Landesligas and seven Bezirksoberligas are set followed by the standard league system.
The Under 15's differ in as much as the Bayernliga is split into two regional divisions and set underneath the Southern German Regionalliga.