Liga Alef

Liga Alef (Hebrew: ליגה א', lit. 'League A') is the third tier of the Israeli football league system.^[1] It is divided into two regional divisions, north and south.

Liga Alef

Founded	1949
Country	Israel
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Number of teams	16X2
Level on pyramid	3
Promotion to	National League
Relegation to	Liga Bet
Domestic cup(s)	State Cup
Current champions	F.C. Tira (North A) Hapoel Kaukab (North B) F.C. Holon Yermiyahu (South A) Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden (South B) (2020–21)
Website	North South
Current: 2021–22

History

League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga Alef. The 1952–53 season was also not played, and Liga Alef resumed in 1953–54.

In the 1955–56 season, Liga Leumit came into existence as the new top division, with Liga Alef becoming the second division. In the summer of 1976, restructuring saw the creation of Liga Artzit as a new second tier, and the second demotion of Liga Alef, as it became the third division. Further restructuring to create the Israeli Premier League in the summer of 1999 saw Liga Alef demoted again, this time to the fourth tier. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Liga Artzit was scrapped as the Premier League and Liga Leumit were expanded to 16 clubs each, with Liga Alef becoming the third tier once more.

Structure

Today, Liga Alef is split into two regional divisions on a north-south basis. Because Israel's northern half is much more densely populated than the desert south, the dividing line between the northern and southern divisions is somewhere between Haifa and Tel Aviv, meaning that the southern "half" covers about three-quarters of the country. Although this inequality is partially offset by the fact that there are so few clubs south of Beersheba (Dimona, Yeroham, Mitzpe Ramon and Eilat are the only sizable towns south of the city), the northern clubs tend to be clustered in the Galilee region, making travel to away matches much less of a chore.

Each division has sixteen clubs, who play each other home and away to make a 30-game season. The club finishing top of each regional division is promoted to Liga Leumit, whilst the eight second to fifth placed clubs have a play-off, with the winner playing-off against the third-bottom club in Liga Leumit for a place in that division. The bottom two from each division are relegated to Liga Bet, the fourth tier, and the two third-bottom clubs playing-off against play-off winners from Liga Bet for a place in Liga Alef. Coming into Liga Alef are the two or three clubs relegated from Liga Leumit and the four to six clubs promoted from Liga Bet (the winner of each of the four regional divisions, and one or two more runners-up, had they are successful in the play-off). The clubs are then pooled and assigned to the most geographically appropriate of the two divisions.

Current members

The following clubs are participating in the 2023–2024 season:

Liga Alef North F.C. Tira Hapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye Hapoel Bnei Zalafa Hapoel Bu'eine Hapoel Kafr Kanna Hapoel Kaukab Hapoel Kiryat Yam Hapoel Migdal HaEmek Hapoel Ra'anana Ironi Nesher Maccabi Akhi Nazareth Maccabi Ata Bialik Maccabi Nujeidat Maccabi Umm al-Fahm Tzeirei Kafr Kanna Tzeirei Tayibe

Liga Alef South F.C. Dimona F.C. Holon Yermiyahu Hapoel Ashdod Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden Hapoel Herzliya Hapoel Kfar Shalem Hapoel Lod Hapoel Marmorek Maccabi Kiryat Malakhi Ironi Modi'in Maccabi Ironi Ashdod Maccabi Sha'arayim Maccabi Yavne A.S. Nordia Jerusalem Shimshon Kafr Qasim Shimshon Tel Aviv

Previous seasons

1951–63

Season	Winner	Relegated
First tier
1951–52	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Rishon LeZion
1953–54	Maccabi Tel Aviv	None ^1
1954–55	Hapoel Petah Tikva	Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Hadera, Hapoel Balfouria
Second tier
1955–56	Hakoah Tel Aviv ^2	Ahva Notzrit Haifa, Hapoel Ra'anana, Hapoel Balfouria
1956–57	Hapoel Kfar Saba ^3	Hapoel Nahariya, Maccabi Ramat Gan
1957–58	Beitar Jerusalem ^4	None ^4
1958–59	Bnei Yehuda	Maccabi Sha'arayim, Hapoel Afula
1959–60	Shimshon Tel Aviv	Maccabi Rehovot, Hapoel Netanya
1960–61	Hapoel Tiberias	Hapoel Hadera, Hapoel Herzliya
1961–62	Hakoah Tel Aviv	Maccabi Hadera, Hapoel Rehovot
1962–63	Hapoel Ramat Gan ^5	Hapoel Safed, Maccabi Ramla

¹ No clubs were relegated as the league was expanded to 14 clubs in the following season.

² There was no automatic promotion in the 1955-56 season. Hakoah Tel Aviv lost in the promotion play-offs to Maccabi Jaffa of Liga Leumit.

³ First placed Hapoel Kfar Saba and third placed Hapoel Jerusalem were promoted after promotion play-offs.

⁴ No clubs were promoted or relegated after the Israel Football Association decided to abandon the league before the end of the season, due to suspicions of bribery.

⁵ Hapoel Lod and Maccabi Sha'arayim were also promoted.

Northern division

Season	Winner	Relegated
Second tier
1963–64	Maccabi Netanya	Hapoel Nahariya, Hapoel Givat Haim
1964–65	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda	Maccabi Zikhron Ya'akov, Hapoel Ra'anana
1965–66	Maccabi Haifa	Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Beitar Haifa
1966–68	Hapoel Kfar Saba	Hapoel Nahariya, Hapoel Safed
1968–69	Maccabi Petah Tikva	Hapoel Ra'anana, Hapoel Kfar Blum
1969–70	Hapoel Hadera	Hapoel Kiryat Haim, Beitar Kiryat Tiv'on
1970–71	Maccabi Jaffa	Hapoel Zikhron Ya'akov, Maccabi Hadera
1971–72	Maccabi Petah Tikva	Hapoel Netanya, Hapoel Kiryat Haim
1972–73	Hapoel Hadera	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda, Hapoel Givat Haim
1973–74	Hapoel Acre ^1	Hapoel Migdal HaEmek
1974–75	Maccabi Haifa	None ^2
1975–76	Hapoel Acre	Hapoel Tiberias, Hapoel Kiryat Ata
Third tier
1976–77	Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda, Hapoel Safed
1977–78	Hapoel Tiberias ^3	Hapoel Bnei Nazareth, Hapoel Beit Eliezer
1978–79	Hapoel Nazareth Illit ^4	Hapoel Nahliel, Hapoel Givat Haim
1979–80	Hapoel Kiryat Shmona	Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, Hapoel Umm al-Fahm
1980–81	Beitar Netanya ^5	Hapoel Netanya, Maccabi Or Akiva
1981–82	Hapoel Hadera ^6	Hapoel Afikim, Hapoel Nahariya
1982–83	Beitar Haifa	Hapoel Givat Olga, Hapoel Nahliel
1983–84	Hapoel Tiberias	Maccabi Bnei Hatzor, Hapoel Migdal HaEmek
1984–85	Beitar Netanya ^7	Hapoel Bnei Nazareth, Hapoel Tel Hanan
1985–86	Hapoel Beit She'an ^8	Hapoel Nazareth Illit, Maccabi Shefa-'Amr
1986–87	Maccabi Hadera ^9	Hapoel Aliyah Kfar Saba, Maccabi Or Akiva
1987–88	Maccabi Tamra	Hapoel Ra'anana, Hapoel Bnei Tamra
1988–89	Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel	Hapoel Tira, Hapoel Kiryat Ata
1989–90	Maccabi Acre	Hapoel Bnei Nazareth, Beitar Haifa
1990–91	Maccabi Herzliya	Beitar Nahariya, Maccabi Hadera
1991–92	Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel	Maccabi Tamra, Maccabi Kafr Kanna
1992–93	Hapoel Beit She'an ^10	Maccabi Bnei Hatzor
1993–94	Hapoel Ramat Gan ^11	Beitar Nahariya
1994–95	Maccabi Acre	Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel, Hapoel Tiberias
1995–96	Maccabi Kafr Kanna	Hapoel Givat Olga, Maccabi Or Akiva
1996–97	Bnei Sakhnin	Hapoel Migdal HaEmek, Hapoel Iksal
1997–98	Maccabi Ahi Nazareth	Maccabi Hadera, Hapoel Karmiel
1998–99	Hapoel Ra'anana ^12	Hapoel Umm al-Fahm, Hapoel Kafr Qasim
Fourth tier
1999–2000	Hapoel Majd al-Krum	Maccabi Afula
2000–01	Ironi Kiryat Shmona	Maccabi Isfiya, Hapoel Iksal
2001–02	Hapoel Kafr Sumei	Hapoel Tzeirei Nahf, Hapoel Hurfeish
2002–03	Hapoel Herzliya	Hapoel Hadera, Hapoel Tayibe
2003–04	Maccabi Hadera ^13	Hapoel Migdal HaEmek
2004–05	Maccabi Tzur Shalom	Hapoel Tuba, Maccabi Tur'an
2005–06	Hapoel Bnei Tamra	Maccabi Tamra, Hapoel Beit She'an, Maccabi Shefa-'Amr
2006–07	Hapoel Bnei Jadeidi	Hapoel Kafr Sumei, Hapoel Reineh, Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-Tarshiha
2007–08	Hapoel Umm al-Fahm	Beitar Haifa, Hapoel Ahva Haifa, Hapoel Makr
2008–09	Ahva Arraba	Maccabi Ironi Shlomi/Nahariya, Beitar Ihud Mashhad
Third tier
2009–10	Maccabi Ironi Jatt	Hapoel Bnei Jadeidi, Hapoel Bnei Tamra, Maccabi Ironi Tirat HaCarmel
2010–11	Maccabi Umm al-Fahm	Ironi Sayid Umm al-Fahm, Maccabi Kafr Qara, Hapoel Ramot Menashe Megiddo
2011–12	Hapoel Asi Gilboa ^14	Maccabi Ironi Tamra, Ahi Acre
2012–13	Hapoel Afula	Hapoel Kafr Kanna, Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-Tarshiha
2013–14	Hapoel Kfar Saba ^15	Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel, Maccabi Kafr Kanna, Ahva Arraba
2014–15	Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem	Beitar Nahariya, Maccabi Umm al-Fahm
2015–16	Ironi Nesher	Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Ihud Bnei Majd al-Krum
2016–17	Hapoel Hadera	Tzeirei Kafr Kanna
2017–18	Hapoel Iksal	Hapoel Beit She'an, Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel
2018–19	Hapoel Umm al-Fahm	Ironi Nesher, Hapoel Jerusalem

¹ There was no automatic promotion in the 1973-74 season. Hapoel Acre finished fifth in the promotion play-offs and remained in Liga Alef. However, runners-up, Shimshon Tel-Aviv, finished second in the promotion play-offs and were promoted to Liga Leumit.

² Hapoel Kiryat Shmona and Hapoel Safed were reprieved from relegation after the Israel Football Association decided to expand Liga Leumit to 18 clubs and Liga Alef to 17 clubs in each division for the following season.

³ Maccabi Herzliya and Hapoel Beit She'an were also promoted.

⁴ Hapoel Herzliya were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef South, Maccabi Kiryat Gat.

⁵ Hapoel Tel Hanan were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef South, Hapoel Ramla.

⁶ Maccabi Shefa-'Amr were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef South, Hapoel Bat Yam.

⁷ Hapoel Acre were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef South, Maccabi Lazarus Holon.

⁸ Beitar Nahariya were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef South, Hapoel Rishon LeZion.

⁹ There was no automatic promotion in the 1986-87 season. Maccabi Hadera finished third in the promotion play-offs after Hapoel Bat Yam of Liga Alef South and Hapoel Ramat Gan of Liga Artzit and remained in Liga Alef.

¹⁰ Hapoel Tayibe were also promoted as runners-up.

¹¹ Hapoel Kiryat Shmona were also promoted as runners-up.

¹² Hapoel Nazareth Illit, Hapoel Iksal and Hapoel Acre were also promoted.

¹³ Although Maccabi Hadera finished top, they folded and second-placed Maccabi Ironi Tirat HaCarmel were promoted instead.

¹⁴ There was no automatic promotion in the 2011-12 season. Hapoel Asi Gilboa lost in promotion play-offs to the South division champions, Maccabi Yavne in away goals (2-2 on aggregate) and remained in Liga Alef.

¹⁵ Ironi Tiberias were also promoted after play-off victory over Hapoel Katamon of Liga Leumit.

Southern division

Season	Winner	Relegated
Second tier
1963–64	Beitar Tel Aviv	Maccabi Shmuel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Rishon LeZion
1964–65	Hapoel Be'er Sheva	Hapoel Ramla, Beitar Harari Tel Aviv
1965–66	SK Nes Tziona	HaBira Jerusalem, Hapoel Giv'atayim
1966–68	Beitar Jerusalem	Beitar Kiryat Ono, Hapoel Kfar Shalem
1968–69	Beitar Tel Aviv	Hapoel Yehud, Maccabi Holon
1969–70	Hapoel Holon	Beitar Be'er Sheva, Hapoel Sderot
1970–71	Hapoel Be'er Sheva	SK Nes Tziona, Beitar Lod
1971–72	Hapoel Marmorek	Hapoel Ashkelon, Maccabi Bat Yam
1972–73	Bnei Yehuda	Hapoel Eilat, Hapoel Kiryat Ono
1973–74	Maccabi Sha'arayim ^1	Maccabi Holon
1974–75	Maccabi Ramat Amidar	None ^2
1975–76	Hapoel Yehud	Beitar Jaffa, Hapoel Lod
Third tier
1976–77	Hapoel Beit Shemesh	Hapoel Dimona, Hapoel Be'er Ya'akov
1977–78	Hapoel Marmorek ^3	Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Gan, Hapoel Rosh HaAyin
1978–79	Hapoel Beit Shemesh	SK Nes Tziona, Beitar Ashdod
1979–80	Maccabi Yavne ^4	Hapoel Or Yehuda, Hapoel Kafr Qasim
1980–81	Maccabi Kiryat Gat	Maccabi Be'er Sheva, Hapoel Rosh HaAyin
1981–82	Hapoel Ashkelon	Hapoel Herzliya, Maccabi Lazarus Holon
1982–83	Hapoel Marmorek ^5	Hapoel Ashdod, Hapoel Dimona
1983–84	Maccabi Sha'arayim ^6	Ironi Ashdod, Maccabi Herzliya
1984–85	Hapoel Beit Shemesh	Hapoel Ramla, Hapoel Ihud Tzeirei Jaffa
1985–86	Hapoel Dimona	Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Gan ^7
1986–87	Hapoel Bat Yam	Beitar Be'er Sheva, Hapoel Yeruham
1987–88	Beitar Ramla	Hapoel Ramat HaSharon, Hapoel Azor
1988–89	Hapoel Rishon LeZion	Hapoel Ramla, Hapoel Beit Shemesh
1989–90	Hapoel Ashdod ^8	Hapoel Or Yehuda, Hapoel Dimona
1990–91	SK Nes Tziona ^9	Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah, Hapoel Lod
1991–92	Hapoel Ashkelon	Hapoel Yehud, Hapoel Aliyah Kfar Saba
1992–93	Ironi Rishon LeZion ^10	Beitar Netanya
1993–94	Maccabi Kiryat Gat ^11	Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Hen
1994–95	Hapoel Kfar Shalem	Hapoel Be'er Ya'akov, Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel
1995–96	Hapoel Ashkelon	Hapoel Marmorek, Hapoel Merhavim
1996–97	Hapoel Lod	Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah, Hapoel Kiryat Malakhi
1997–98	Beitar Be'er Sheva	Hapoel Kiryat Ono, Hapoel Yehud
1998–99	Hapoel Ironi Dimona ^12	Hapoel Yeruham, Beitar Ramla
Fourth tier
1999–2000	Maccabi Ashkelon ^13	Hapoel Or Yehuda
2000–01	Maccabi Yavne	Hapoel Ihud Tzeirei Jaffa, Sektzia Nes Tziona
2001–02	Maccabi Ramat Amidar	Hapoel Kiryat Ono, Hapoel Lod, Maccabi Jerusalem/Ma'ale Adumim
2002–03	Hapoel Tira ^14	None ^15
2003–04	Maccabi Be'er Sheva ^16	Hapoel Bat Yam
2004–05	Hapoel Bnei Lod	Hapoel Qalansawe, Hapoel Jaljulia
2005–06	Sektzia Nes Tziona	Maccabi Sha'arayim, F.C. Kafr Qasim, Beitar Givat Ze'ev
2006–07	Hapoel Maxim Lod ^17	AS Jaffa, Hapoel Arad
2007–08	Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam	Tzafririm Holon, Maccabi Amishav Petah Tikva, Ironi Ofakim
2008–09	Maccabi Be'er Sheva	Ironi Ramla, Hapoel Masos Shaqib al-Salam
Third tier
2009–10	Hapoel Herzliya	Beitar Kfar Saba, Hapoel Mevaseret Zion
2010–11	Hapoel Jerusalem	Hapoel Nahlat Yehuda, Tzafririm Holon, Shimshon Bnei Tayibe
2011–12	Maccabi Yavne	Maccabi Ironi Netivot, Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Hen, Maccabi Ironi Jatt Alahli
2012–13	Hapoel Katamon	Hapoel Arad, Maccabi Ironi Kfar Yona, Ortodoxim Lod
2013–14	Maccabi Kiryat Gat	Maccabi Be'er Ya'akov, Bnei Eilat
2014–15	Hapoel Ashkelon	Maccabi Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Kiryat Malakhi
2015–16	Maccabi Sha'arayim	Maccabi Amishav Petah Tikva, Bnei Eilat, Hapoel Morasha Ramat HaSharon
2016–17	Hapoel Marmorek	Bnei Jaffa Ortodoxim, F.C. Shikun HaMizrah
2017–18	Sektzia Nes Tziona	F.C. Dimona, Hapoel Hod HaSharon
2018–19	Hapoel Umm al-Fahm	Hapoel Jerusalem

¹ There was no automatic promotion in the 1973-74 season. Maccabi Sha'arayim finished sixth and bottom in the promotion play-offs and remained in Liga Alef.

² SK Nes Tziona and Beitar Jaffa were reprieved from relegation after the Israel Football Association decided to expand Liga Leumit to 18 clubs and Liga Alef to 17 clubs in each division for the following season.

³ Hapoel Lod and Hapoel Bat Yam were also promoted.

⁴ Beitar Ramla were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef North, Hapoel Ramat HaSharon.

⁵ Hapoel Holon were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef North, Maccabi Hadera.

⁶ Hapoel Ramat HaSharon were also promoted after play-off victory over runners-up of Liga Alef North, Beitar Netanya.

⁷ Season played with 13 clubs after Tzafririm Holon merged with Liga Artzit club, Hapoel Holon.

⁸ Ironi Ashdod were also promoted after play-off victory over Maccabi Tamra of Liga Artzit.

⁹ Hakoah Ramat Gan were also promoted after play-off victory over Hapoel Bat Yam of Liga Artzit.

¹⁰ Hapoel Bat Yam were also promoted as runners-up.

¹¹ Hapoel Lod were also promoted as runners-up.

¹² Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Sha'arayim and Shimshon Tel Aviv were also promoted.

¹³ Hapoel Nir Ramat HaSharon were also promoted as the best runners-up in Liga Alef, following the merger of Liga Artzit clubs, Beitar Tel Aviv and Shimshon Tel Aviv.

¹⁴ Hapoel Marmorek were also promoted as the best runners-up in Liga Alef, after Beitar Be'er Sheva (which were relegated from Liga Leumit to Liga Artzit) folded.

¹⁵ No club relegated as both Beitar Be'er Sheva (which were relegated from Liga Leumit to Liga Artzit) and Hapoel Ironi Dimona folded.

¹⁶ Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Hen were also promoted as the best runners-up in Liga Alef, after Maccabi Kiryat Gat were demoted from Liga Leumit to Liga Alef.

¹⁷ Although Hapoel Maxim Lod finished top, they folded and second-placed Hapoel Kfar Shalem were promoted instead.

References

1. Nakrani, Sachin (2020-01-12). "Interview 'The men were screaming. They made me feel I should not be a referee'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-03-01.

External links

• Israel Football Association