Use the table for the right division
The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are distinct competitions with their own tables and fixtures. A club’s position in the second tier cannot be interpreted using the same qualification boundary as its position in the first. Confirm the division and season when a television graphic or search result refers simply to German football.
Two clubs move directly between the tiers
The league’s official explanation describes two automatic promotion and relegation places between its top two divisions. A third place in the movement between those divisions is decided differently. This is why 16th in the Bundesliga is a play-off position rather than the same immediate outcome as the bottom two league places.
The play-off crosses the divisions
The club finishing 16th in the Bundesliga meets the club finishing third in Bundesliga 2 over two legs. The aggregate winner takes the Bundesliga place for the following season. It is not a four-club promotion tournament, and it does not use the English semi-final-and-final model that some viewers associate with the word play-off.
Find the complete tie before a viewing decision
A first-leg score is only part of the outcome. Check the return fixture, its venue and current kick-off before treating the tie as settled or planning a broadcast session. The official competition pages are the source for the format and fixtures; current UK viewing rights and subscription access need their own check. A Bundesliga mark on this website does not supply those rights.
Questions, answered
Which clubs contest the Bundesliga promotion-relegation play-off?
The 16th-placed Bundesliga club and the third-placed Bundesliga 2 club meet for the top-tier place.
Is that play-off a single final?
No. The league describes a two-legged tie, so the aggregate outcome determines which club takes the Bundesliga place.