# 2016–17 Slovenian First League (men's handball)

The 2016–17 Slovenian First League (known as the Liga NLB for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th season of the 1. A liga, Slovenia's premier handball league.

## Team information

The following 14 clubs competed in the 1. A liga during the 2016–17 season:
| Team | City | Arena | Notes |
| RK Celje Pivovarna Laško | Celje | Zlatorog Arena | Teams entering in Championship Round |
| RK Gorenje Velenje | Velenje | Red Hall | Teams entering in Championship Round |
| RD Riko Ribnica | Ribnica | Ribnica Sports Center | |
| RD Koper 2013 | Koper | Arena Bonifika | |
| RK Maribor Branik | Maribor | Tabor Hall | |
| RD Urbanscape Loka | Loka | Poden Sports Hall | |
| MRK Krka | Novo Mesto | Marof Hall | |
| RK Jeruzalem Ormož | Ormož | Hardek Hall | |
| RK Trimo Trebnje | Trebnje | OŠ Trebnje Hall | |
| MRD Dobova | Dobova | Dobova Sports Hall | |
| RD Istrabenz Plini Izola | Izola | Izola Sports Hall | |
| RK Slovenj Gradec 2011 | Slovenj Gradec | Vinka Cajnka Hall | |
| RK Dol TKI Hrastnik | Dol pri Hrastniku | Dolanka Sports Hall | |
| RK Drava Ptuj | Ptuj | OŠ Ljudski vrt Ptuj | |

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | RD Koper 2013 | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 659 | 548 | +111 | 38 | Championship Group |
| 2 | RD Riko Ribnica | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 675 | 568 | +107 | 36 | Championship Group |
| 3 | RD Urbanscape Loka | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 593 | 538 | +55 | 29 | Championship Group |
| 4 | MRK Krka | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 621 | 562 | +59 | 28 | Championship Group |
| 5 | RK Maribor Branik | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 627 | 586 | +41 | 26 | Relegation Group |
| 6 | RK Trimo Trebnje | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 581 | 566 | +15 | 23 | Relegation Group |
| 7 | MRD Dobova | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 559 | 549 | +10 | 23 | Relegation Group |
| 8 | RK Jeruzalem Ormož | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 606 | 598 | +8 | 23 | Relegation Group |
| 9 | RK Slovenj Gradec 2011 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 570 | 601 | −31 | 15 | Relegation Group |
| 10 | RK Dol TKI Hrastnik | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 555 | 623 | −68 | 15 | Relegation Group |
| 11 | RK Drava Ptuj | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 558 | 677 | −119 | 8 | Relegation Group |
| 12 | RD Istrabenz Plini Izola | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 444 | 632 | −188 | 0 | Relegation Group |

### Results

| Home \ Away | DOB | DOL | IZO | KOP | KRK | LOK | MAR | ORM | PTU | RIB | SLO | TRE |
| MRD Dobova | | 22–21 | 25–19 | 22–23 | 31–28 | 23–25 | 25–28 | 28–24 | 29–22 | 21–24 | 31–21 | 30–30 |
| RK Dol TKI Hrastnik | 20–30 | | 25–22 | 27–32 | 26–31 | 27–27 | 29–28 | 31–36 | 34–24 | 23–29 | 28–23 | 24–21 |
| RD Istrabenz Plini Izola | 17–24 | 20–25 | | 18–24 | 18–26 | 26–27 | 16–25 | 21–26 | 20–26 | 22–35 | 17–33 | 24–28 |
| RD Koper 2013 | 35–29 | 36–21 | 29–19 | | 27–23 | 32–27 | 32–20 | 33–27 | 37–26 | 22–22 | 29–23 | 39–34 |
| MRK Krka | 30–22 | 29–20 | 33–25 | 29–23 | | 24–30 | 35–32 | 28–21 | 26–25 | 25–28 | 34–23 | 27–23 |
| RD Urbanscape Loka | 24–20 | 35–24 | 33–14 | 25–24 | 18–18 | | 33–23 | 31–19 | 27–33 | 30–28 | 26–23 | 18–20 |
| RK Maribor Branik | 20–21 | 30–23 | 39–17 | 25–25 | 25–28 | 30–24 | | 39–33 | 35–27 | 27–26 | 31–25 | 28–28 |
| RK Jeruzalem Ormož | 17–19 | 28–27 | 33–22 | 28–33 | 30–26 | 31–31 | 31–23 | | 33–23 | 22–31 | 32–21 | 28–24 |
| RK Drava Ptuj | 27–31 | 21–26 | 26–23 | 28–41 | 28–42 | 25–25 | 24–30 | 20–27 | | 26–34 | 23–27 | 27–28 |
| RD Riko Ribnica | 32–28 | 36–26 | 34–25 | 28–29 | 31–26 | 24–23 | 34–31 | 32–28 | 42–31 | | 34–25 | 27–24 |
| RK Slovenj Gradec 2011 | 33–22 | 30–24 | 29–20 | 24–29 | 33–30 | 27–31 | 26–30 | 24–27 | 26–26 | 28–28 | | 24–24 |
| RK Trimo Trebnje | 29–26 | 33–24 | 26–19 | 23–25 | 23–23 | 23–23 | 24–27 | 31–25 | 34–20 | 26–36 | 25–22 | |

## Championship Round
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | RK Celje Pivovarna Laško | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 329 | 269 | +60 | 57 | EHF Champions League |
| 2 | RK Gorenje Velenje | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 274 | 248 | +26 | 51 | EHF Champions League |
| 3 | RD Riko Ribnica | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 285 | 272 | +13 | 49 | EHF Cup |
| 4 | RD Koper 2013 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 256 | 282 | −26 | 44 | EHF Cup |
| 5 | RD Urbanscape Loka | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 254 | 262 | −8 | 37 | |
| 6 | MRK Krka | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 267 | 332 | −65 | 29 | |

### Results

| Home \ Away | CEL | KOP | KRK | LOK | RIB | VEL |
| RK Celje Pivovarna Laško | | 37–32 | 41–29 | 28–22 | 35–27 | 29–28 |
| RD Koper 2013 | 27–31 | | 28–22 | 29–23 | 24–32 | 20–26 |
| MRK Krka | 26–38 | 27–27 | | 26–27 | 30–33 | 23–35 |
| RD Urbanscape Loka | 25–36 | 26–21 | 35–27 | | 23–25 | 24–16 |
| RD Riko Ribnica | 28–29 | 24–24 | 37–29 | 27–26 | | 27–23 |
| RK Gorenje Velenje | 25–25 | 34–24 | 31–28 | 27–23 | 29–25 | |

## Relegation Round
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | RK Maribor Branik | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 444 | 375 | +69 | 48 | |
| 2 | RK Trimo Trebnje | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 423 | 377 | +46 | 47 | |
| 3 | RK Jeruzalem Ormož | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 440 | 392 | +48 | 45 | |
| 4 | MRD Dobova | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 363 | 380 | −17 | 34 | |
| 5 | RK Slovenj Gradec 2011 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 390 | 380 | +10 | 29 | Relegation |
| 6 | RK Dol TKI Hrastnik | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 423 | 438 | −15 | 26 | Relegation |
| 7 | RK Drava Ptuj | 14 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 377 | 437 | −60 | 11 | Relegation |
| 8 | RD Istrabenz Plini Izola | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 329 | 410 | −81 | 5 | Relegation |

### Results

| Home \ Away | DOB | DOL | IZO | MAR | ORM | PTU | SLO | TRE |
| MRD Dobova | | 30–26 | 23–17 | 29–34 | 32–28 | 25–23 | 23–26 | 24–26 |
| RK Dol TKI Hrastnik | 25–26 | | 29–28 | 34–40 | 36–37 | 38–30 | 29–28 | 22–28 |
| RD Istrabenz Plini Izola | 26–26 | 27–31 | | 18–35 | 22–36 | 29–27 | 25–29 | 26–30 |
| RK Maribor Branik | 32–25 | 35–27 | 31–15 | | 33–26 | 28–28 | 35–34 | 25–26 |
| RK Jeruzalem Ormož | 34–25 | 35–30 | 32–28 | 32–28 | | 32–23 | 26–22 | 33–28 |
| RK Drava Ptuj | 29–28 | 29–38 | 25–28 | 22–28 | 27–28 | | 24–29 | 27–28 |
| RK Slovenj Gradec 2011 | 29–25 | 25–25 | 26–23 | 28–28 | 26–30 | 36–30 | | 30–33 |
| RK Trimo Trebnje | 25–22 | 40–33 | 30–17 | 31–32 | 32–31 | 42–34 | 24–22 | |