Liga Leumit

For the Israeli basketball league, see Liga Leumit (basketball).

Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit logo
Countries	Israel
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Founded	1954
Number of teams	16
Levels on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Premier League
Relegation to	Liga Alef
Domestic cup(s)	State Cup Toto Cup Leumit
Current champions	Ironi Ramat HaSharon (2010–11)
Website	football.org.il
2011–12 Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit (Hebrew: ליגה לאומית‎, lit. National League) is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.

Structure

There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place. the highest-placed team are promoted to the Israeli Premier League while the bottom three teams from Israeli Premier League are relegated in their place.

The participating clubs were first play a conventional double round-robin schedule for a total of 30 matches, with all points accumulated by the clubs will be halved.

Following this, the top eight teams will first play in a promotion playoff. To determine the promoted team. and the eight clubs play a single round-robin schedule.

The Israeli State Cup winners qualify for the third qualifying round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.

In addition, the bottom eight teams play out to avoid one relegation spot.

Broadcast Rights

Television

Since the 2010–11 season, One match is broadcast live on Sport +5 LIVE channel on Friday or Saturday afternoons.

History

Liga Leumit came into existence at the start of the 1954–55 season, replacing Liga Alef as the top division in Israeli football. However, it was usurped as the top flight in the 1999–2000 season, when it was replaced by the Premier League. Since then it has operated as the second tier in the Israeli football league system.

Past seasons Champions

Season	Winner	Also promoted	Relegated
1999–2000	Tzafririm Holon		Hapoel Ashkelon
2000–01	Hapoel Be'er Sheva	Maccabi Kiryat Gat	Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata
2001–02	Hapoel Kfar Saba	Bnei Yehuda	Hakoakh Amidar Ramat Gan, Hapoel Beit She'an
2002–03	Maccabi Ahi Nazareth	Bnei Sakhnin	Beitar Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Kafr Kanna
2003–04	Hapoel Haifa	Hapoel Nazareth Illit	Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Kiryat Gat
2004–05	Hapoel Kfar Saba	Maccabi Netanya	Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, Tzafririm Holon,
2005–06	Maccabi Herzliya	Hakoakh Amidar Ramat Gan	Ironi Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Be'er Sheva
2006–07	Ironi Kiryat Shmona	Bnei Sakhnin	Hapoel Ashkelon, Hapoel Jerusalem
2007–08	Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan	Hapoel Petah Tikva	Ironi Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Nazareth Illit
2008–09	Hapoel Haifa	Hapoel Acre, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Hapoel Ramat Gan, Hapoel Ra'anana, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth	Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata
2009–10	Ironi Kiryat Shmona	Hapoel Ashkelon	Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Marmorek
2010–11	Ironi Ramat HaSharon	Ironi Rishon LeZion	Maccabi Ironi Jatt, Ahva Arraba

Member clubs, 2011–12

Beitar TA Ramla

Sektzia Nes Tziona

Hapoel Ashkelon

Hapoel & Hakoah Ramat Gan

M. Ahi Nazareth

Maccabi Umm al-Fahm

Hapoel Jerusalem

Hapoel Ra'anana

Hapoel Bnei Lod

H. Nazareth Illit

Maccabi Be'er Sheva

Hapoel Kfar Saba

Maccabi Herzliya

Hapoel Herzliya

Ironi Bat Yam

Location of teams in the 2011–12 Liga Leumit

Current Liga Leumit clubs (2011–12)

• Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla
• Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan
• Hapoel Ashkelon
• Hapoel Bnei Lod
• Hapoel Herzliya
• Hapoel Jerusalem
• Hapoel Kfar Saba
• Hapoel Nazareth Illit
• Hapoel Ra'anana
• Hapoel Ramat Gan
• Ironi Bat Yam
• Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
• Maccabi Be'er Sheva
• Maccabi Herzliya
• Maccabi Umm al-Fahm
• Sektzia Nes Tziona

External links

• Israel Football Association
• Liga Leumit Soccerway