# Liga Artzit

Liga Artzit (Hebrew: ליגה ארצית, lit. Country League) is the defunct third division of Israeli Football League, beneath its highest division Premier League and the second division Liga Leumit. Before being cancelled in 2009, it was run by the Israel Football Association. It was replaced by Liga Alef.

## Structure

There were 12 teams in Liga Artzit. Each team played 33 matches; the first 22 matches were played on a home and away basis, with the last 11 fixtures based on league positions after 22 games. Like the majority of leagues in the world, three points were awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. Final League positions were 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.
In the past at the end of the season, providing they met certain criteria, the top two teams weren promoted to Liga Leumit, and were replaced by the bottom two teams from that league. The teams finishing 11th and 12th in Liga Artzit were relegated to Liga Alef, where they were assigned to a geographically suitable division. They were replaced by the champions of Liga Alef North and Liga Alef South providing they meet criteria for entry into Liga Artzit.
However, the league was abolished at the end of the 2008–09 season as part of structural reforms to the Israeli league system that saw the Premier League and Liga Leumit both expanded to 16 clubs. At the end of the season the top seven clubs were promoted to Liga Leumit; the 8th placed club was played in a play-off round against the 11th placed club in Liga Leumit for a place in Liga Leumit, whilst the 9–12th placed clubs was relegated to Liga Alef.

## History

Liga Artzit came into existence in 1976 with a restructuring of Israeli football. It replaced Liga Alef as the second division (below Liga Leumit), and unlike its regionalised predecessor, was a nationwide league (hence its name). For its first season, Liga Artzit comprised twelve teams. Four teams were demoted from Liga Leumit as it was reduced in size, and the top four clubs from Liga Alef North and Liga Alef South were promoted. In later seasons the number of members varied, though the usual number of clubs was 16.
In 1999, Liga Artzit was demoted to the third tier after the creation of the Premier League. Since then it has consisted of 12 teams.
In 2009, Liga Artzit was closed.

### Previous seasons

| Season | Winner | Also promoted | Relegated |
| Second tier ||||
| 1976–77 | Hapoel Hadera | | Beitar Netanya, Maccabi Hadera |
| 1977–78 | Bnei Yehuda | Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Rishon LeZion | Hapoel Beit Shemesh, Maccabi Sha'arayim |
| 1978–79 | Hakoah Ramat Gan | Maccabi Ramat Amidar, Hapoel Petah Tikva | Hapoel Marmorek, Hapoel Netanya, Hapoel Ashdod |
| 1979–80 | Hapoel Jerusalem | Hapoel Ramat Gan, Hapoel Rishon LeZion | Hapoel Bat Yam, Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel, Hapoel Herzliya |
| 1980–81 | Beitar Tel Aviv | Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa | Hapoel Hadera, Hapoel Holon, Maccabi Herzliya |
| 1981–82 | Hapoel Lod | Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Yavne | Maccabi Kiryat Gat, Beitar Netanya, Hapoel Tiberias |
| 1982–83 | Beitar Tel Aviv | Hakoah Ramat Gan, Maccabi Ramat Amidar | Maccabi Shefa-'Amr, Hapoel Acre, Hapoel Tel Hanan |
| 1983–84 | Hapoel Haifa | Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Petah Tikva | Hapoel Beit She'an, Hapoel Nazareth Illit, Hapoel Beit Shemesh |
| 1984–85 | Bnei Yehuda | Maccabi Sha'arayim, Hapoel Jerusalem | Hapoel Ashkelon, Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona |
| 1985–86 | Beitar Netanya | Beitar Tel Aviv, Hapoel Lod | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon, Hapoel Beit Shemesh, Beitar Haifa |
| 1986–87 | Tzafririm Holon | | Hapoel Marmorek$^1$, Hapoel Beit She'an, Beitar Ramla, Beitar Nahariya, Hapoel Dimona |
| 1987–88 | Hapoel Jerusalem | Hapoel Tiberias | Hakoah Ramat Gan, Hapoel Acre |
| 1988–89 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | | Hapoel Yehud, Beitar Ramla |
| 1989–90 | Tzafririm Holon | Hapoel Tel Aviv | Maccabi Tamra$^1$, Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Lod |
| 1990–91 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | Maccabi Yavne | Hapoel Bat Yam$^1$, Maccabi Ramat Amidar, Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel |
| 1991–92 | Beitar Jerusalem | Hapoel Haifa | Beitar Netanya, Hapoel Tiberias |
| 1992–93 | Maccabi Herzliya | Ironi Ashdod, Hapoel Kfar Saba | Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Sha'arayim |
| 1993–94 | Hapoel Rishon LeZion | Hapoel Beit She'an, Beitar Tel Aviv | Maccabi Acre, Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel |
| 1994–95 | Maccabi Jaffa | Hapoel Kfar Saba | Hapoel Ashkelon, Hapoel Lod |
| 1995–96 | Hapoel Tayibe | Hapoel Jerusalem | Shimshon Tel Aviv, Hapoel Kfar Shalem |
| 1996–97 | Hapoel Ashkelon | Ironi Ashdod | Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Hadera |
| 1997–98 | Maccabi Jaffa | Tzafririm Holon | Hapoel Ramat Gan, Maccabi Yavne |
| 1998–99 | Maccabi Netanya | | Hapoel Ashdod, Beitar Tel Aviv, Hapoel Bat Yam, Maccabi Kafr Kanna, Hapoel Lod, SK Nes Tziona, Hapoel Tayibe |
| Third tier ||||
| 1999–2000 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | | Hapoel Ironi Dimona, Hapoel Iksal |
| 2000–01 | Hapoel Ra'anana | Maccabi Kafr Kanna | Maccabi Ashkelon, Maccabi Sha'arayim |
| 2001–02 | Hapoel Jerusalem | Hapoel Nazareth Illit | Hapoel Tayibe, Maccabi Yavne |
| 2002–03 | Hakoah Ramat Gan | Ironi Kiryat Shmona | Hapoel Bat Yam, Hapoel Kafr Sumei |
| 2003–04 | Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon | Hapoel Acre | Hapoel Tira, Hapoel Beit She'an |
| 2004–05 | Hapoel Ashkelon | Maccabi Be'er Sheva | Hapoel Majd al-Krum$^2$ |
| 2005–06 | Hapoel Bnei Lod | Maccabi Ahi Nazareth | Tzafririm Holon, Maccabi Tzur Shalom |
| 2006–07 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | Hapoel Ironi Rishon LeZion | Hapoel Herzliya, Maccabi Be'er Sheva |
| 2007–08 | Hapoel Jerusalem | Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata | Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Hen, Hapoel Kfar Shalem |
| 2008–09 | Sektzia Nes Tziona | Hapoel Ashkelon, Hapoel Marmorek, Ironi Rishon LeZion, Ironi Bat Yam, Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv, Hapoel Nazareth Illit | Maccabi Kafr Kanna, Bnei Tamra, Hapoel Umm al-Fahm, Hapoel Bnei Jadeidi, Maccabi Tirat HaCarmel |
1. After promotion/relegation play-offs.
2. Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata finished in 11th place, but were reprieved when Maccabi Ramat Amidar folded.