The league was introduced after a decision made by the Saarland Football Association on 31 May 2008.

It was decided that the new league would be operating from the 2009-10 season onwards and slotted in between the tier-five Oberliga Südwest and, from then on, the tier-seven Verbandsliga Saarland.

To qualify for the new league, a club had to finish within the following specifications at the end of the 2008-09 season: As the number of clubs relegated from the Oberliga from Saarland was not known at the time this system was decided on, it was determined that for every team relegated, one fewer from the Verbandsliga would qualify.

In this case, the SV Mettlach having been relegated, the seventeenth club from the Verbandsliga would not gain entry to the new Saarlandliga.

Eighteen teams are scheduled to compete in the league since 2009-10, with a home-and-away season format.