LIGA LEUMIT

'Liga Leumit' (, lit. ''National League'') is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below Ligat ha'Al. One Liga Leumit match is shown each week on Channel 1.

Contents
Structure
History
Liga Leumit clubs, 2007-08
Winners of Liga Leumit
External links

Structure


There are 12 teams in the Liga Leumit. Each team plays thirty three rounds of matches as determined by the Israel Football Association and is awarded three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. From these points a league table is constructed. At the end of each season the top two teams are replaced by two teams that finished at the bottom of Ligat ha'Al. (One exception to this was in 1998, when Ligat ha'Al was about to form they reduced its numbers to 12. In that year, only one team was promoted, the top team. Similarly the eight teams which finished at the bottom of the Liga Leumit were relegated to the Liga Artzit.
Final League position is determined firstly by points obtained, then by goal difference, then goals scored, and if necessary, a mini-league of the results between two or more teams ranked using the previous three criteria and finally a series of one or more play off matches.

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 2000, when it was replaced by Ligat ha'Al. Since then it has operated as the second tier in the Israeli football league system.

Liga Leumit clubs, 2007-08


Winners of Liga Leumit


SeasonWinnerRunner-UpTeams relegated to Liga Artzit
1999-00Tzafririm Holon Maccabi Kiryat Gat¹ Hapoel Ashkelon
2000-01Hapoel Be'er Sheva Maccabi Kiryat Gat Hapoel Jerusalem, Ironi Kiryat Ata
2001-02Hapoel Kfar Saba Bnei Yehuda Hakoakh Ramat Gan², Hapoel Beit She'an
2002-03Maccabi Akhi Nazareth Bnei Sakhnin Beitar Avraham Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Kfar Kana
2003-04Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Nazareth Illit Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Kiryat Gat³
2004-05Hapoel Kfar Saba Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Akhi Nazareth, Tzafririm Holon,
2005-06Maccabi Herzliya Hakoakh Ramat Gan Hapoel Ironi Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Beersheba
2006-07Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona Bnei Sakhnin Hapoel Ashkelon, Hapoel Jerusalem

¹ Only one team was promoted in 1999-00, so Maccabi Kiryat Gat remained in Liga Leumit.
² Tzafririm Holon originally finished in the relegation zone, but were reprieved when Hakoakh Ramat Gan were demoted by the IFA.
³ Tzafririm Holon originally finished in the relegation zone, but were reprieved when Maccabi Kiryat Gat were demoted by the IFA.

External links



Israel Football Association in Hebrew and English

BigSoccer.com's Israel Football Forum in English

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