Israeli football league system
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Israeli football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Israel. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, and allows even the smallest club to dream of rising to the very top of the system. There are 6 levels, containing a total of 16 divisions. It is run by the Israel Football Association (IFA).
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[edit] Structure
The top division of Israeli football is Ligat ha'Al. Liga Leumit is the second tier, followed by Liga Artzit as the third tier. These three divisions all operate at the national level.
Below Liga Artzit the divisions are split into regionalised leagues. Liga Alef is the fourth tier, and is split into north and south divisions. Liga Bet, the fifth tier, is divided into four regionalised leagues. Liga Gimel, the bottom division of Israeli football, is split into seven regionalised leagues, four in the north and three in the south.
[edit] About the Leagues
[edit] Ligat ha'Al
Ligat ha'Al (Hebrew:ליגת העל, translated as Super League) is the highest league in Israeli football and has 12 member clubs. Winning Ligat ha'Al is the top prize in Israeli football and guarantees a berth in the UEFA Champions League.
Ligat Ha'Al was created in 1999 as the IFA aimed to realign the leagues to improve competition. The move from sixteen clubs to twelve was criticized by some football pundits who saw it as damaging the clubs that would be relegated, clubs that had years of history. Each season the bottom two clubs are relegated from Ligat ha'Al and replaced by two from the Liga Leumit.
[edit] Current Ligat Ha'Al clubs
- Beitar Jerusalem F.C.
- Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C.
- Hakoakh Ramat Gan
- Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C.
- Hapoel Petakh Tikva
- Hapoel Tel Aviv
- F.C. Ashdod
- Maccabi Haifa F.C.
- Maccabi Herzliya
- Maccabi Netanya F.C.
- Maccabi Petah Tikva
- Maccabi Tel Aviv
[edit] Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit (Hebrew: ליגה לאומית, National League) is the second tier of Israeli football, a position it has held since 1999, having originally been the top division prior to Ligat Ha'Al's creation. It has 12 member clubs, the top two of which are promoted to Ligat Ha'Al and the bottom two relegated to Liga Artzit at the end of each season.
[edit] Liga Artzit
Liga Artzit (Hebrew: ליגה ארצית, Nationwide League) is the third tier of Israeli football, a position it has held since 1999, having been the second tier since its creation in 1974. Like the two divisions above it, Liga Artzit has 12 member clubs, the top two of which are promoted at the end of the season to the Liga Leumit and the bottom two clubs are relegated at the end of the season to Liga Alef.
[edit] Liga Alef
Liga Alef (Hebrew: ליגה א, A League) is the fourth tier of Israeli football, a position it has held since 1999. Between 1974 and 1999 it was the third tier after Liga Artzit, and between 1949 and 1974 it was the second division. Liga Alef consists of two divisions and has 28 member clubs. The divisions are based on the clubs' geographical position in the country and are split into a north and south category. The top club from each division is promoted at the end of the season to Liga Artzit and the bottom two clubs (from each division) are relegated at the end of the season to Liga Bet.
[edit] Liga Bet
Liga Bet (Hebrew: ליגה ב, B League) is the fifth tier of Israeli football, a position it has held since 1999. Between 1974 and 1999 it was the fourth tier after the creation of Liga Artzit, and between 1949 and 1974 it was the third division. Liga Bet consists of four divisions and has 64 member clubs. The divisions are based on the clubs' geographical position in the country and are split into two north categories and two south categories. The top club from each division is promoted at the end of the season to the Liga Alef and the bottom two clubs (from each division) are relegated at the end of the season to Liga Gimel (if there are enough clubs coming up to replace them).
[edit] Liga Gimel
Liga Gimel (Hebrew: ליגה ג, C League) is the sixth and bottom tier of Israeli football, a position it has held since 1999. Between 1974 and 1999 it was the fifth tier after the creation of Liga Artzit, and between 1949 and 1974 it was the fourth division. Liga Gimel consists of seven divisions of varying size, four in the north and three in the less-populated south. At the start of the 2006-7 season there were a total of 91 member clubs. If they meet criteria laid down by the IFA, the top club from each division is promoted at the end of the season to the Liga Bet. As it is the lowest division, no clubs are relegated.
For a full list of clubs see List of football clubs in Israel.
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