Oberliga Süd covered the southern three German states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse.

The league was introduced as the highest level of football in the US occupation zone in 1945 to replace the disbanded Gauligen.

No less than 16 clubs were elected into the new league, a novelty in German football and quite an achievement in the early post-war conditions.

[1] At this stage, clubs from the south-western parts of Baden and Württemberg were not eligible to compete in it as they were based in the French occupation zone and had to play in the Oberliga Südwest (Südgruppe), where they remained until 1950, when the separation of South and Southwest was made final.

[2] Play in the southern parts of Germany went underway almost straight after the end of the war while the north and east still had to wait some more years.

The Oberliga Süd, however, was licensed to a group of private persons, thus being a sort of "independent" league during its first five seasons.

Set below the Oberliga were originally the Landesligas of Hessen, Bayern, Württemberg and Nordbaden, from 1950 also Südbaden.

Clubs within the same Oberliga that were separated by less than 50 points were considered on equal rank and the 1962-63 placing was used to determine the qualified team.

Karlsruher SC and VfB Stuttgart held third and fourth place in the overall points ranking.