Ligat Nashim (Hebrew: ליגת נשים, lit. Women's League) is the Israeli women's football league. It has been run by the Israel Football Association since 1998.
| Founded | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Israel |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Israeli Women's Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League |
| Current champions | F.C. Kiryat Gat (5th title) (2022–23) |
| Most championships | ASA Tel Aviv University (8 titles) |
| Website | Official |
| Current: 2023–24 | |
Format
The league is divided into two divisions, with the top division, titled Women's Premier League (previously Ligat Nashim Rishona, lit. "First Women's League"), comprising 9 teams, and the second division, titled Women's Leumit League (previously Ligat Nashim Shniya, lit. "Second Women's League"), comprising a variable number of teams, depending on registration. In 2015, a third division was created, named Mama-Foot League (meaning: a football league for mothers) at first,[1] and changed to Women's Artzit League in 2016. The third division is contested in smaller pitches, over two-halves of 15 minutes each and with unlimited substitutions and the winner does not promote to the second division.[2][3]
Between 2007–08 and 2010–11 the league was made of one division of 12 teams in a round-robin tournament with the top club winning the championship, with a deciding play-off match to decide the winner if the two teams were tied, as was the case in 2009–10. In 2010–11 the IFA re-introduced a second division that previously existed in 2006–07.[4]
Since 2011, the participating clubs first play a conventional round-robin schedule, followed by a championship playoff contested by the four top teams, where they meet each other twice. Upon its conclusion, the first place team wins the Israeli championship and qualifies to participate in the UEFA Women's Champions League. The bottom teams play each other once to avoid relegation, with the bottom club dropping to the second division.The second division is played as a double round-robin schedule, each team playing its opponents four times, with the top club promoting to the top division.[5]
Champions
A women's football league was organized in late 1998 and started playing during October 1998.[6] In 2003–04 the league was abandoned in mid-season and was never completed.[7][8]
| Season | First Division | Second Division | Third Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Maccabi Haifa | – | – |
| 1999–2000 | ASA Tel Aviv University | ||
| 2000–01 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | ||
| 2001–02 | Maccabi Haifa | ||
| 2002–03 | Maccabi Holon | ||
| 2003–04 | League abandoned | ||
| 2004–05 | Maccabi Holon | ||
| 2005–06 | |||
| 2006–07 | Ironi Bat Yam | ||
| 2007–08 | – | ||
| 2008–09 | |||
| 2009–10 | ASA Tel Aviv University | ||
| 2010–11 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | ||
| 2011–12[9] | F.C. Ramat HaSharon | ||
| 2012–13 | F.C. Kiryat Gat | ||
| 2013–14 | Maccabi Tzur Shalom Bialik | ||
| 2014–15 | Maccabi Be'er Sheva | Bnot Meitav Tel Aviv | |
| 2015–16 | F.C. Ramat HaSharon | Bnot Netanya F.C. | |
| 2016–17 | F.C. Kiryat Gat | Hapoel Ra'anana | Bnot Ironi Modi'in |
| 2017–18 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | Maccabi Bnot Or Avika | |
| 2018–19[10] | ASA Tel Aviv University | Maccabi Bnot Emek Hefer | Hapoel Bnot Arabe |
| 2019–20 | F.C. Ramat HaSharon | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | ASA Tel Aviv University B |
| 2020–21 | F.C. Kiryat Gat | Hapoel Marmorek | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 2021–22 | Hapoel Ironi Petah Tikva | Hapoel Kiryat Yam | |
| 2022–23 | Hapoel Ra'anana | Or Yehuda | |
| 2023–24 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | Maccabi Atlit |
Total championships
| Club | Titles |
|---|---|
| ASA Tel Aviv | 8 |
| Maccabi Holon | 6 |
| Kiryat Gat | 6 |
| Maccabi Haifa | 2 |
| Ramat HaSharon | |
| Hapoel Tel Aviv | 1 |
References
External links
- Ligat Nashim Rishona Israel Football Association
- women.soccerway.com; Standings & results