Oberliga Südwest (1945–1963)
The league was introduced as the highest level of football in the French occupation zone in 1945, replacing the Gauligas as such.From 1948 to 1951 the clubs from the Saarland did not take part in the Oberliga Südwest, playing their own competition instead.In 1978, the Oberliga Südwest was reformed, as the third tier of German football, but still covering the same region.FSV Mainz 05, FK Pirmasens, SV Südwest Ludwigshafen, TuS Neuendorf and Eintracht Bad Kreuznach also saw the first season of the new league.FC Kaiserslautern as the most prolific team of the Oberliga and champion of 1963 was logical, the pick of the 1.FC Saarbrücken was more than dubious, having only finished fifth in the Oberliga that year and coming in below the other Saarland side, Borussia Neunkirchen.Clubs within the same Oberliga that were separated by less than 50 points were considered on equal rank and the 1962-63 placing was used to determine the qualified team.FC Saarbrücken qualified early even though FK Pirmasens and Borussia Neunkirchen were less than ten points behind in the overall ranking and finished better in 1962–63.