La temporada 2020-21 de la 3. Liga correspondió a la 13.ª edición de la Tercera División de Alemania. La fase regular comenzó a disputarse el 18 de septiembre de 2020 y terminó el 22 de mayo de 2021. El campeonato estaba originalmente programado para iniciar el 24 de julio de 2020 y terminar el 15 de mayo de 2021, sin embargo dado que el transcurso de la temporada anterior se suspendió del 9 de marzo al 30 de mayo de 2020 debido a la pandemia de COVID-19 y no estaba programada para completarse hasta el 4 de julio, se decidió reajustar las fechas del calendario.
Sistema de competición Participaron en la 3. Liga 20 clubes que, siguiendo un calendario establecido por sorteo, se enfrentaron entre sí en dos partidos, uno en terreno propio y otro en campo contrario. El ganador de cada partido obtuvo tres puntos, el empate otorgó un punto y la derrota, cero puntos.
El torneo se disputó entre los meses de septiembre de 2020 y mayo de 2021. Al término de la temporada, los dos primeros clasificados ascendieron a la 2. Bundesliga, y el tercer clasificado disputó su ascenso con el antepenúltimo clasificado de la 2. Bundesliga. Los cuatro últimos descendieron a la Regionalliga.
Relevo anual de clubes {| |- style="vertical-align: top;" | Pos17.ºWehen Wiesbaden18.ºDinamo Dresde Pos1.ºWurzburgo Kickers2.ºEintracht Brunswick Pos17.°Chemnitzer18.°Preußen Münster19.ºSonnenhof Großaspach 20.ºCarl Zeiss Jena PosSüdwestSaarbrücken NordLübeckBayernTürkgücü MúnichProm.Verl
Clubes participantes thumb|350px|right|Situación geográfica de los clubes de la 3. Liga en Alemania en la temporada 2020-21. ClubCiudadEstadioAforo 1. FC Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern Fritz-Walter-Stadion 49 780 Dinamo Dresde Dresde Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion 32 066 Hallescher FC Halle Erdgas Sportpark 15 057 FC Saarbrücken Saarbrücken LudwigsparkstadionPSD Bank ArenaHermann-Neuberger-Stadion 16 00312 5426800 Bayern Múnich II Múnich Grünwalder StadionFC Bayern Campus Platz 1 15 0002500 Hansa Rostock Rostock Ostseestadion 29 000 MSV Duisburgo Duisburgo Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena 31 514 FC Ingolstadt 04 Ingolstadt Audi Sportpark 15 445 TSV 1860 Múnich Múnich Grünwalder Stadion 15 000 Uerdingen 05 Krefeld Merkur Spiel-ArenaFRIMO Stadion 54 60010 059 VfB Lübeck Lubeca Stadion Lohmühle 17 849 1. FC Magdeburgo Magdeburgo MDCC-Arena 27 250 SV Meppen Meppen Hänsch-Arena 16 500 Türkgücü Múnich Múnich Olímpico de MúnichGrünwalder Stadion 69 25015 000 SpVgg Unterhaching Unterhaching Alpenbauer Sportpark 15 053 SC Verl Verl Sportclub ArenaBenteler-Arena 515315 000 Viktoria Colonia Colonia Sportpark Höhenberg 10 001 Waldhof Mannheim Mannheim Carl-Benz-Stadion 25 667 SV Wehen Wiesbaden Wiesbaden BRITA-Arena 12 250 FSV Zwickau Zwickau GGZ-Arena 10 134
Equipos por estados federados
RegiónN.ºEquipos25px|border Baviera51860 Múnich, Bayern Múnich II, Türkgücü Múnich, Ingolstadt 04 y Unterhaching25px|border Renania del Norte-Westfalia4MSV Duisburgo, Viktoria Colonia, Uerdingen 05 y SC Verl25px|border Sajonia-Anhalt2Hallescher y Magdeburgo25px|border Sajonia2Dinamo Dresde y Zwickau25px|border Baden-Württemberg1Waldhof Mannheim Sarre1FC Saarbrücken25px|border Baja Sajonia1Meppen25px|border Hesse1Wehen Wiesbaden25px|border Renania-Palatinado1Kaiserslautern25px|border Mecklemburgo-Pomerania1Hansa Rostock25px|border Schleswig-Holstein1Lübeck
Clasificación
Evolución de las posiciones Actualizado el . Jornada /Equipo1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738 Dinamo Dresde<small>5<small>8<small>12<small>8<small>4<small>8<small>9<small>6<small>8<small>6<small>3<small>3<small>2<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>2<small>3<small>4<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1Hansa Rostock<small>2<small>9<small>11<small>7<small>7<small>4<small>2<small>1<small>5<small>4<small>8<small>9<small>6<small>5<small>6<small>8<small>5<small>4<small>6<small>4<small>3<small>4<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>2<small>3<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>2Ingolstadt 04<small>4<small>1<small>4<small>11<small>6<small>7<small>5<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>2<small>2<small>3<small>3<small>4<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>3<small>4<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>4<small>2<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>2<small>2<small>4<small>4<small>3<small>31860 Múnich<small>1<small>4<small>3<small>1<small>1<small>3<small>1<small>2<small>2<small>2<small>4<small>4<small>4<small>9<small>5<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>2<small>2<small>3<small>4<small>4<small>6<small>5<small>6<small>5<small>4<small>4<small>4<small>4<small>4<small>3<small>3<small>3<small>4<small>4Saarbrücken<small>11<small>5<small>1<small>3<small>2<small>1<small>3<small>4<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>1<small>2<small>2<small>4<small>4<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>9<small>10<small>8<small>8<small>6<small>4<small>4<small>6<small>5<small>5<small>6<small>5<small>5<small>5<small>5<small>5<small>5Wehen Wiesbaden<small>14<small>6<small>7<small>10<small>12<small>9<small>7<small>8<small>10<small>8<small>9<small>5<small>7<small>6<small>7<small>5<small>6<small>5<small>8<small>9<small>10<small>8<small>5<small>5<small>4<small>3<small>5<small>6<small>7<small>7<small>6<small>5<small>6<small>6<small>6<small>6<small>6<small>6Verl<small>13<small>3<small>2<small>4<small>8<small>5<small>4<small>5<small>6<small>11<small>6<small>7<small>5<small>4<small>3<small>6<small>7<small>8<small>5<small>6<small>6<small>5<small>6<small>7<small>7<small>8<small>8<small>7<small>5<small>6<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>7<small>7Waldhof<small>10<small>13<small>13<small>13<small>9<small>12<small>15<small>13<small>12<small>10<small>11<small>10<small>11<small>10<small>12<small>13<small>14<small>14<small>12<small>10<small>8<small>7<small>8<small>9<small>9<small>10<small>9<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>14<small>12<small>10<small>8<small>8Hallescher<small>3<small>11<small>15<small>15<small>18<small>14<small>12<small>14<small>15<small>15<small>14<small>12<small>10<small>8<small>9<small>7<small>8<small>9<small>9<small>8<small>9<small>10<small>9<small>10<small>10<small>9<small>10<small>12<small>12<small>13<small>12<small>12<small>13<small>12<small>11<small>12<small>11<small>9<small>5<small>7<small>10<small>6<small>10<small>6<small>8<small>12<small>13<small>14<small>15<small>15<small>16<small>17<small>20<small>17<small>18<small>16<small>17<small>15<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>11<small>12<small>12<small>9<small>9<small>9<small>10<small>10<small>10<small>11<small>13<small>13<small>12<small>10Magdeburgo<small>20<small>17<small>20<small>20<small>15<small>18<small>19<small>20<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>18<small>16<small>18<small>20<small>20<small>19<small>18<small>17<small>18<small>18<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>18<small>16<small>17<small>15<small>14<small>13<small>12<small>10<small>9<small>8<small>9<small>11Viktoria Colonia<small>8<small>16<small>9<small>5<small>3<small>2<small>6<small>7<small>4<small>7<small>5<small>6<small>9<small>7<small>8<small>10<small>10<small>11<small>13<small>14<small>14<small>14<small>16<small>16<small>14<small>15<small>15<small>10<small>10<small>10<small>9<small>8<small>8<small>8<small>8<small>9<small>10<small>12Türkgücü<small>7<small>2<small>6<small>9<small>11<small>10<small>10<small>11<small>7<small>5<small>7<small>8<small>8<small>11<small>11<small>12<small>11<small>6<small>4<small>5<small>5<small>6<small>7<small>6<small>5<small>7<small>7<small>8<small>8<small>8<small>8<small>9<small>9<small>9<small>10<small>11<small>13<small>13Kaiserslautern<small>17<small>20<small>19<small>18<small>17<small>17<small>18<small>19<small>18<small>16<small>16<small>14<small>14<small>14<small>17<small>18<small>15<small>15<small>16<small>18<small>16<small>16<small>15<small>14<small>15<small>16<small>16<small>17<small>18<small>18<small>18<small>17<small>17<small>15<small>15<small>15<small>15<small>14Duisburgo<small>18<small>15<small>17<small>16<small>19<small>15<small>17<small>16<small>17<small>18<small>18<small>18<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>20<small>19<small>19<small>20<small>19<small>18<small>17<small>17<small>14<small>13<small>15<small>14<small>12<small>13<small>14<small>14<small>13<small>14<small>14<small>14<small>15Uerdingen<small>15<small>19<small>18<small>17<small>14<small>16<small>14<small>10<small>11<small>9<small>10<small>11<small>12<small>12<small>10<small>9<small>9<small>10<small>10<small>12<small>13<small>13<small>12<small>15<small>16<small>17<small>17<small>18<small>16<small>17<small>17<small>18<small>18<small>17<small>17<small>17<small>16<small>16Meppen<small>19<small>10<small>14<small>14<small>16<small>19<small>16<small>17<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>14<small>16<small>13<small>12<small>14<small>13<small>15<small>15<small>13<small>13<small>12<small>13<small>14<small>14<small>13<small>14<small>15<small>15<small>15<small>16<small>16<small>16<small>17<small>17<small>Bayern Múnich II<small><small>9<small>18<small>8<small>12<small>13<small>13<small>11<small>9<small>9<small>12<small>13<small>16<small>17<small>18<small>16<small>15<small>16<small>17<small>11<small>11<small>12<small>12<small>14<small>12<small>13<small>11<small>11<small>13<small>15<small>16<small>16<small>16<small>16<small>18<small>18<small>18<small>18<small>18Lübeck<small>12<small>14<small>16<small>19<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>18<small>16<small>13<small>12<small>13<small>13<small>13<small>13<small>14<small>17<small>18<small>20<small>20<small>19<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19<small>19Unterhaching<small>16<small>12<small>5<small>2<small>5<small>11<small>13<small>15<small>14<small>17<small>17<small>17<small>15<small>15<small>15<small>11<small>12<small>13<small>15<small>16<small>17<small>17<small>17<small>18<small>18<small>18<small>19<small>19<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20<small>20
Resultados Los horarios corresponden al huso horario de Alemania (Hora central europea): UTC+1 en horario estándar y UTC+2 en horario de verano.
Primera vuelta Jornada 1LocalResultadoVisitanteEstadioFechaHoraKaiserslautern0 - 1Dinamo DresdeFritz-Walter-Stadion18 de septiembre17:45Bayern Múnich II2 - 2Türkgücü MúnichGrünwalder Stadion19 de septiembre14:00Hansa Rostock3 - 1DuisburgoOstseestadionMeppen1 - 31860 MúnichHänsch-ArenaZwickau2 - 1UnterhachingGGZ-ArenaWehen Wiesbaden0 - 0VerlBRITA-ArenaLübeck1 - 1SaarbrückenStadion LohmühleIngolstadt 042 - 1UerdingenAudi Sportpark20 de septiembre13:00Magdeburgo0 - 2HallescherMDCC-Arena14:00Waldhof Mannheim2 - 2Viktoria ColoniaCarl-Benz-Stadion21 de septiembre19:00 Jornada 2LocalResultadoVisitanteEstadioFechaHoraUnterhaching1 - 0LübeckAlpenbauer Sportpark25 de septiembre19:00Duisburgo1 - 1ZwickauSchauinsland-Reisen-Arena26 de septiembre14:00Viktoria Colonia0 - 2Wehen WiesbadenSportpark HöhenbergSaarbrücken2 - 0Hansa RostockLudwigsparkstadionVerl3 - 0Bayern Múnich IISportclub Arena1860 Múnich1 - 1MagdeburgoGrünwalder StadionHallescher0 - 2Ingolstadt 04Edgas SportparkDinamo Dresde1 - 1Waldhof MannheimRudolf-Harbig-Stadion27 de septiembre13:00Türkgücü Múnich3 - 0KaiserslauternGrünwalder Stadion14:00Uerdingen0 - 2MeppenMerkur Spiel-Arena28 de septiembre19:00