Being the top flight of the Baden state association, the Verbandsliga is currently a level 6 division of the German football league system.

The league was formed as Amateurliga Nordbaden in 1945 in the northern half of the then-state of Württemberg-Baden, which is now the northwestern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

The league was established in 1945 with ten teams, the winner gaining promotion to the Oberliga Süd.

With the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963, the Amateurliga was placed below the new Regionalliga Süd but still retained its third-tier status.

The longest continuous member of the league was the SV Sandhausen, which gained promotion to it in 1957 and spent 21 seasons in it until its admittance to the new Oberliga in 1978.

The winner of this play-off has to face the runners-up of the Verbandsliga Württemberg for the final Oberliga spot.