The DFB-Pokal Frauen[1] is the main national women's football cup competition in Germany, held annually by the German Football Association in knockout format. It was created in 1980, and since 1991 includes Eastern teams as well. The most recent champions are VfL Wolfsburg (ten consecutive titles), they also won the most titles with eleven. Since 1985 the final has thus been held in Berlin. Only in 1983, it was held in the city of Frankfurt. This routine changed in 2010 when the finale was the DFB gave the final to the city of Cologne.[2] It ever stayed in the city and was held at the RheinEnergieStadion. The final usually takes place on a weekend or holiday in early May.
All clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga are allowed to compete in the cup as are the clubs which gained promotion to the secondBundesliga. Also the winners of the regional cup competitions compete in the cup. As an exception to these rules, clubs' second teams are not allowed to participate in the DFB-Pokal. When a second team wins its regional cup, that team's regional association may send another team to the DFB-Pokal only if the cup winning second team has not also achieved promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.[3]
Of the qualified teams, not all have to compete in the first round. Exactly 32 teams have to compete in the second round of the tournament, so in the first round the number of matches is determined by the number of excess teams. The teams that do not have to compete in the first round are the best finishers from the previous Bundesliga season, the number again determined by the number of entrants to the tournament.
The pairings for round one, two, and three are not entirely random as there is a commission allocating the clubs to two or four groups as they see fit. These groups correspond with the regional provenance of the clubs. In the third round the commission can decide not to allocate the contestants to any groups. Within those groups the clubs are again separated, this time depending on the league they play in. For the draw, clubs from the Bundesligas are put in one pot and the rest in a second pot. Non-Bundesliga clubs automatically have home advantage against clubs from the Bundesligas.[3] From 2025–26 on, 32 teams will compete in a play-off round, while there is no regional split-up (21 winners of the regional cups, five promoted teams from the Regionalliga and six teams from the 2. Bundesliga), to determine the 16 teams in the first round. There, the Bundesliga and the four best-placed teams from the 2. Bundesliga will join.[4]
All games are held over two 45-minute halves with the winner advancing to the next round. In case of a draw, the game gets an extended by two 15-minute halves. If the score is still level after 120 minutes the winner is decided by penalty shootout. In the final no extra time is added in case of a draw after 90 minutes, instead the penalty shootout follows immediately.[3]
Before the reunification of Germany the cup competition included teams from West Germany only.
(*) Note: Runner-up of VfL Wolfsburg as VfR Eintracht Wolfsburg
