2020–21 Liga Alef

Liga Alef
Season	2020–21
Champions	Maccabi Bnei Reineh; Hapoel "Adumim" Ashdod
	← 2019–20 2021–22 →

The 2020–21 Liga Alef season is the 12th season as third tier since its re-alignment in 2009 and the 54th season of third-tier football in Israel.

Changes from last season[edit]

Team changes[edit]

Hapoel Iksal and Hapoel Kfar Shalem were promoted to Liga Leumit; Hapoel Ashkelon and Hapoel Bnei Lod (both to South division) were relegated from Liga Leumit.
Since the previous season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no team was relegated to Liga Bet. However Ironi Kiryat Gat and Hapoel Asi Gilboa folded and didn't register to this season.
Maccabi Tzur Shalom and Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata merged in July 2020.^[1]
Ihud Bnei Majd al-Krum, Hapoel Bu'eine, Hapoel Bnei Fureidis, Maccabi Bnei Reineh, Tzeirei Tayibe (to the North division), F.C. Dimona and Ironi Kuseife (to the South Division) were promoted from Liga Bet to complete a 34 team line-up, 18 teams in each division.

Format change[edit]

To accommodate the shortened schedule caused by COVID-19 pandemic, the league was split into two phases. For the first phase each division was split to two sub-divisions with nine teams in each sub-division, to be played as a double round robin tournament (16 matches in total). At the end of the first phase in each division the two top teams from each sub-division qualifying to a promotion group of four teams, again to be played as a double round robin tournament (6 matches in total), with the winning team gaining promotion to Liga Leumit and the second-placed team qualifying to the promotion play-offs.
The seven bottom placed teams in each sub-division would continue in their respective sub-division with the points gained during the first phase, playing an additional round robin schedule (six matches in total). The bottom team in each sub-division would be relegated to Liga Bet and the sixth placed team would compete to the relegation play-offs.^[2]

North Division[edit]

Sub-division A[edit]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	F.C. Tira	16	12	2	2	42	11	+31	38	Promotion group
2	Maccabi Tamra	16	9	4	3	16	13	+3	31	Promotion group

3	Hapoel Bu'eine	22	11	2	9	33	33	0	35
4	Hapoel Herzliya	22	8	7	7	28	18	+10	31
5	Maccabi Tzur Shalom Bialik	22	8	6	8	34	26	+8	30
6	Hapoel Bnei Fureidis	22	8	6	8	32	30	+2	30
7	Hapoel Kafr Kanna	22	8	6	8	32	33	−1	30
8	Ironi Tiberias	22	7	6	9	24	22	+2	27	Relegation play-offs
9	Ihud Bnei Majd al-Krum	22	1	3	18	14	69	−55	6	Relegation to Liga Bet

Source: Liga Alef North IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6) deciding match.

Sub-division B[edit]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Hapoel Kaukab	16	11	5	0	29	6	+23	38	Promotion group
2	Maccabi Bnei Reineh	16	7	6	3	23	16	+7	27	Promotion group

3	Hapoel Bnei Arara-'Ara	22	7	8	7	26	29	−3	29
4	F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira	22	7	7	8	28	26	+2	28
5	Hapoel Migdal HaEmek	22	6	10	6	28	35	−7	28
6	Hapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye	22	7	6	9	29	32	−3	27
7	Hapoel Bnei Zalafa F.C.	22	7	6	9	35	39	−4	27
8	Tzeirei Tayibe	22	5	11	6	30	31	−1	26	Relegation play-offs
9	F.C. Daburiyya	22	3	7	12	16	30	−14	16	Relegation to Liga Bet

Source: Liga Alef North IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6) deciding match.

Promotion group[edit]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Maccabi Bnei Reineh	6	3	1	2	8	8	0	10	Promotion to Liga Leumit
2	F.C. Tira	6	2	3	1	6	4	+2	9	Promotion play-offs
3	Hapoel Kaukab	6	2	2	2	6	5	+1	8
4	Maccabi Tamra	6	1	2	3	6	9	−3	5

Source: Liga Alef North IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6) deciding match.

South Division[edit]

Sub-division A[edit]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	F.C. Holon Yermiyahu	16	8	6	2	18	9	+9	30	Promotion group
2	Hapoel "Adumim" Ashdod	16	8	5	3	20	10	+10	29	Promotion group

3	Maccabi Herzliya	22	11	4	7	32	24	+8	37
4	Shimshon Kafr Qasim	22	7	10	5	31	23	+8	31
5	Maccabi Yavne	22	7	6	9	23	24	−1	27
6	Hapoel Azor	22	7	6	9	27	31	−4	27
7	F.C. Dimona	22	6	8	8	18	17	+1	26
8	Hapoel Bnei Lod	22	6	5	11	27	36	−9	23	Relegation play-offs
9	F.C Or Yehuda	22	6	4	12	26	48	−22	22	Relegation to Liga Bet

Source: Liga Alef South IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6) deciding match.

Sub-division B[edit]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden	16	9	5	2	32	14	+18	32	Promotion group
2	Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa	16	8	7	1	30	11	+19	31	Promotion group

3	Hapoel Marmorek	22	13	5	4	41	21	+20	44
4	Maccabi Sha'arayim	22	8	7	7	26	27	−1	31
5	Ironi Kuseife	22	6	8	8	22	35	−13	26
6	Maccabi Ashdod	22	6	7	9	30	30	0	25
7	Hapoel Ashkelon	22	5	10	7	21	26	−5	25
8	Nordia Jerusalem	22	6	6	10	32	35	−3	24	Relegation play-offs
9	Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan	22	2	5	15	23	58	−35	11	Relegation to Liga Bet

Source: Liga Alef South IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6) deciding match.

Promotion group[edit]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Hapoel "Adumim" Ashdod	6	4	2	0	9	4	+5	14	Promotion to Liga Leumit
2	Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa	6	4	0	2	6	5	+1	12	Promotion play-offs
3	Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden	6	2	1	3	6	5	+1	7
4	F.C. Holon Yermiyahu	6	0	1	5	4	11	−7	1

Source: Liga Alef North IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6) deciding match.

Promotion play-offs[edit]

In the first round of the play-offs the two second-placed teams from the promotion groups faced each other in a single match on neutral ground. The winner of the match faced the 14th-placed team from Liga Leumit in a single match.

First round[edit]

23 May 2021

F.C. Tira	1–1 (a.e.t.)	Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa
A. Malka 44'	IFA	90' (pen.) Beit Ya'akov
Penalties
Amasha Haj Yahia D. Malka	1–4	Volowelski Arzuan Eshel Beit Ya'akov

Ramat Gan Stadium

Referee: Idan Leiba

Second round[edit]

31 May 2021

Hapoel Umm Al-Fahm	1–0	Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa
Elimelech 21'	IFA

HaMoshava Stadium

Referee: Gal Leibovich

Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa was not promoted to Liga Leumit.

Relegation play-offs[edit]

In each division (North and South) the sixth-placed teams from each sub-division played each other, with the winning team staying in Liga Alef. The losing team from each division faced the Liga Bet play-off winner in a single match for a place in Liga Alef.

North division[edit]

First round[edit]

15 June 2021

17:00

Ironi Tiberias	0–1	Tzeirei Taiybe
	IFA	47' Baraa

Tiberias Municipal Stadium

Referee: Idan Leiba

Second round[edit]

25 June 2021

16:00

Ironi Tiberias	w/o (1–0) (abandoned '90+7)^[3]	Ihud Bnei Shefa-'Amr
Mahfud 59' Davidov 82' Ben David 83'	IFA	22' T. Diab 22' 24' A. Diab 80' 84' Khatib 90+5' Nassar 90+5' Shabal 8' 90+7' Younes

Ilut Stadium

Referee: Avidad Shilo'ach

Ironi Tiberias was not relegated to Liga Bet.

South division[edit]

First round[edit]

3 June 2021

17:30

Nordia Jerusalem	0–1	Hapoel Bnei Lod
	IFA	12' Turiel

Har Homa Stadium

Referee: Roi Reinshreiber

Second round[edit]

29 June 2021

20:00

Nordia Jerusalem	1–0	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda
Cohen 18'	IFA

Haberfeld Stadium

Referee: Gal Leibovich

Nordia Jerusalem was not relegated to Liga Bet.

References[edit]

^ Ron, Ohad (9 July 2020). "פרסום ראשון: איחוד ענק בין צור שלום וקרית אתא" [A Huge Merge Between Tzur Shalom and Kiryat Ata] (in Hebrew). Retrieved 9 April 2021.
^ "הוראת שעה ליגות א'-ג' 2020-21" [Temporary Provisions Leagues Alef to Gimel 2020-21] (PDF) (in Hebrew). 13 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
^ "שישה אדומים והפסד טכני השאירו את עירוני טבריה בליגה א'" [Six Reds and a Technical Loss Kept Ironi Tiberias in Liga Alef]. Sport5 (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[1] Ron, Ohad (9 July 2020). "פרסום ראשון: איחוד ענק בין צור שלום וקרית אתא" [A Huge Merge Between Tzur Shalom and Kiryat Ata] (in Hebrew). Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[2] "הוראת שעה ליגות א'-ג' 2020-21" [Temporary Provisions Leagues Alef to Gimel 2020-21] (PDF) (in Hebrew). 13 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[3] "שישה אדומים והפסד טכני השאירו את עירוני טבריה בליגה א'" [Six Reds and a Technical Loss Kept Ironi Tiberias in Liga Alef]. Sport5 (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Liga Alef
North	F.C. Kiryat Yam F.C. Tira Hapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye Hapoel Bnei Zalafa Hapoel Bu'eine Hapoel Kafr Kanna Hapoel Kaukab Hapoel Migdal HaEmek Hapoel Ra'anana Ironi Nesher Maccabi Akhi Nazareth Maccabi Ata Bialik Maccabi Nujeidat Tzeirei Kafr Kanna Tzeirei Tayibe Tzeirei Umm al-Fahm
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 Nordia Jerusalem Shimshon Kafr Qasim Shimshon Tel Aviv
Seasons (third level)	1938 1940 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
See also: Liga Artzit