The HBL (Hoch Handball Bundesliga) is the top professional handball league in Germany. It was founded in 1966 and is currently made up of 18 teams from across Germany. The season runs from August to May, with each team playing a total of 34 games. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs, where they compete to become the HBL champion. The HBL is widely considered one of the best handball leagues in the world and attracts top players from around the globe. Some of the most successful teams in HBL history include THW Kiel, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, and Rhein-Neckar L?wen.