Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit
	File:IPL201112newlogo.png Liga Leumit logo
Founded	1955; 69 years ago
Country	Israel
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Number of teams	16
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Premier League
Relegation to	Liga Alef
Domestic cup(s)	State Cup; Toto Cup Leumit
Current champions	Ironi Ashdod ; (2015–16)
TV partners	Sport 5
Website	football.org.il
	Current: 2016–17 Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit (Template:Lang-he-n, 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 two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Liga Alef while the two highest-placed teams from Liga Alef are promoted in their place. The two highest-placed Liga Leumit teams are promoted to the Israeli Premier League while the bottom two teams from Israeli Premier League are relegated in their place.

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

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

The Israeli State Cup winners qualify for the third qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.

In addition, the bottom eight teams play out to avoid two relegation spots.

Broadcast Rights

Television

Since the 2010–11 season, One match is broadcast live on Sport +5 LIVE channel on Friday or Saturday afternoons. The rest of the matches has no TV cover.

History

Liga Leumit came into existence at the start of the 1955–56 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	Hakoah 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	Hapoel Rishon LeZion	Maccabi Ironi Jatt, Ahva Arraba
2011–12	Hapoel Ramat Gan	no one	Ironi Bat Yam, Hapoel Herzliya, Maccabi Be'er Sheva
2012–13	Maccabi Petah Tikva	Hapoel Ra'anana	Sektzia Nes Tziona, Hapoel Kfar Saba
2013–14	Maccabi Netanya	Hapoel Petah Tikva	Hapoel Katamon, Hapoel Ashkelon, Maccabi Umm al-Fahm
2014–15	Bnei Yehuda	Hapoel Kfar Saba	Ironi Tiberias, Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan
2015-16	Ironi Ashdod	Hapoel Ashkelon	Maccabi Yavne, Maccabi Kiryat Gat

Member clubs, 2015–16

Template:Liga Leumit Map 2014-15

Current Liga Leumit clubs (2016–17)

External links

Israel Football Association
Liga Leumit Soccerway