Editing DFB-Pokal (section)

==Format==

The competition format has varied considerably since the inception of the ''Tschammer-Pokal'' in 1935.

===Participation===
The DFB-Pokal begins with a round of 64 teams. The 36 teams of the [[Bundesliga]] and [[2. Bundesliga]], along with the top four finishers of the [[3. Liga]] are automatically qualified for the tournament. Of the remaining slots, 21 are given to the cup winners of the regional football associations, the ''[[Verbandspokal]]e''. The three remaining slots are given to the three regional associations with the most men's teams. They may assign the slot as they see fit but usually give it to the runner-up in the association cup. 

As every team taking part in the [[German football league system]] is entitled to participate in local tournaments which qualify for the association cups, every team can, in principle, compete in the DFB-Pokal.<ref name=rules>{{cite web|title=DFB Cup Men – Mode |publisher=DFB |year=2008 |access-date=9 October 2008 |url=https://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=460546 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609211623/https://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=460546 |archive-date=9 June 2009 }}</ref> The only exception is that reserve teams (e.g. [[Bayern Munich II]]) are ineligible to enter.

===Seeding===
For the first round, the 64 teams are split into two pots of 32. One pot contains the 18 teams from the previous season of the Bundesliga and the top 14 teams from the previous season of the 2. Bundesliga. The other pot contains the bottom 4 teams from the previous season of the 2. Bundesliga, the top 4 teams from the previous season of the 3. Liga, and the 24 amateur teams that qualified through regional football tournaments. Teams from one pot are drawn against teams from the other pot. Since [[1982–83 DFB-Pokal|1982]], teams from the pot containing amateur teams have played the game at home.

For the second round, the teams are again divided into two pots according to the same principles. Depending on the results of the first round, the pots might not be equal in terms of numbers. Teams from one pot are drawn against teams from the other pot until one pot is empty. The remaining teams are then drawn against each other, with the team first drawn playing the game at home.

For the remaining rounds, other than the final, the teams are drawn from one pot. Since [[1984–85 DFB-Pokal|1985]], the final has been held in the [[Olympic Stadium, Berlin|Olympic Stadium]] in [[Berlin]]. This decision has been made after West Germany was nominated host nation of the UEFA Euro Championship 1988, and decided for political reasons not to host any games in West Berlin.<ref name=rules />

===Match rules===
Extra time will be played if the scores are level after 90 minutes, with a [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty shootout]] following if needed.<ref name=rules />