# Handball Liga Austria

The Handball Liga Austria (HLA) is the professional handball league of Austria.

## Competition format

The current format was introduced in the 2021-2022 season. The competition has 12 teams. The season begins with a regular season where each team plays each other twice, home and away. The table is then separated into two parts, a championship group and a relegation group. The top eight teams meet in quarterfinals, followed by semi- and lastly a final. The winner is declared Austrian champion. The bottom four meets in relegation playoff to see who gets relegated to the HLA Challenger League.

### Format prior to 2021-2022

The leagued consisted of 10 teams, who in the regular season played each other twice, home and away. The first five teams qualify for a first playoff round, while the last five play a play-down round. At the end of this second round, the five teams of the playoff round and the top three teams of the play-down round play elimination rounds. The last two play a relegation round.

## 2017–18 Season participants

The following ten clubs compete in the Handball Liga Austria during the 2016–17 season.
| Team | City | Arena |
| Alpla HC Hard | Hard | Sporthalle am See |
| Bregenz Handball | Bregenz | Handball-Arena Rieden Vorkloster |
| Handball Tirol | Schwaz | Osthalle Schwaz |
| Handballclub Fivers Margareten | Vienna | Sporthalle Margareten |
| HC Bruck | Bruck an der Mur | Hannes-Bammer-Sporthalle |
| HC Linz AG | Linz | Sport-Neue Mittelschule Linz Kleinmünchen |
| Moser Medical UHK Krems | Krems an der Donau | Sport • Halle • Krems |
| SC Ferlach | Ferlach | Ballspielhalle Ferlach |
| SG Handball West Wien | Maria Enzersdorf | BSFZ Südstadt |
| HSG Graz | Graz | Raiffeisen Sportpark Graz |

## Handball Liga Austria past champions

* 1961 : ATSV Linz
* 1962 : WAT Atzgersdorf
* 1963 : Rapid Wien
* 1964 : Rapid Wien (2)
* 1965 : Rapid Wien (3)
* 1966 : Union West Wien
* 1967 : Rapid Wien (4)
* 1968 : UHC Salzburg
* 1969 : UHC Salzburg (2)
* 1970 : Union Edelweiß Linz
* 1971 : Salzburger AK 1914
* 1972 : UHC Salzburg (3)
* 1973 : Union Krems
* 1974 : Oberglas Bärnbach
* 1975 : Union Krems (2)
* 1976 : Oberglas Bärnbach (2)
* 1977 : Union Krems (3)
* 1978 : ASKÖ Linz SBL
* 1979 : ASKÖ Linz SBL (2)
* 1980 : ASKÖ Linz SBL (3)
* 1981 : ASKÖ Linz SBL (4)
* 1982 : Raika Köflach (3)
* 1983 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
* 1984 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (2)
* 1985 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (3)
* 1986 : Union Raika Stockerau
* 1987 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (4)
* 1988 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (5)
* 1989 : UHK Volksbank Wien (2)
* 1990 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (6)
* 1991 : UHK Volksbank Wien (3)
* 1992 : UHK Volksbank Wien (4)
* 1993 : UHK Volksbank Wien (5)
* 1994 : ASKÖ Linz SBL (5)
* 1995 : ASKÖ Linz SBL (6)
* 1996 : ASKÖ Linz SBL (7)
* 1997 : HC Sparkasse Bruck
* 1998 : HC Sparkasse Bruck (2)
* 1999 : HSG Raiff. Bärnbach/Köflach (4)
* 2000 : HSG Raiff. Bärnbach/Köflach (5)
* 2001 : jet2web Bregenz
* 2002 : jet2web Bregenz (2)
* 2003 : Alpla HC Hard
* 2004 : A1 Bregenz (3)
* 2005 : A1 Bregenz (4)
* 2006 : A1 Bregenz (5)
* 2007 : A1 Bregenz (6)
* 2008 : A1 Bregenz (7)
* 2009 : A1 Bregenz (8)
* 2010 : A1 Bregenz (9)
* 2011 : HC Fivers Margareten
* 2012 : Alpla HC Hard (2)
* 2013 : Alpla HC Hard (3)
* 2014 : Alpla HC Hard (4)
* 2015 : Alpla HC Hard (5)
* 2016 : HC Fivers Margareten (2)
* 2017 : Alpla HC Hard (6)
* 2018 : HC Fivers Margareten (3)
* 2019 : UHK Krems (4)
* 2020 : No Champion (COVID-19 pandemic)
* 2021 : Alpla HC Hard (7)
* 2022 : UHK Krems (5)
* 2023 : SG Handball West Wien (6)
* 2024 : HC Linz AG (7)
| | Club | Titles | Year |
| 1. | Bregenz Handball | 9 | 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| 2. | HC Linz AG | 8 | 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2024 |
| 3. | Alpla HC Hard | 7 | 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021 |
| 4. | ATSE Waagner Biro Graz | 6 | 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 |
| 5. | SG Handball West Wien | 5 | 1966, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2023 |
| 6. | HSG Raiffeisen Bärnbach/Köflach | 5 | 1974, 1976, 1983, 1999, 2000 |
| 7. | UHK Krems | 5 | 1973, 1975, 1977, 2019, 2022 |
| 8. | Rapid Wien | 4 | 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967 |
| 9. | UHC Salzburg | 3 | 1968, 1969, 1972 |
| 10. | HC Fivers Margareten | 3 | 2011, 2016, 2018 |
| 11. | HC Bruck | 2 | 1997, 1998 |
| 12. | ATSV Linz | 1 | 1961 |
| 13. | WAT Atzgersdorf | 1 | 1962 |
| 14. | Union Edelweiß Linz | 1 | 1970 |
| 15. | Salzburger AK 1914 | 1 | 1971 |
| 16. | Union Raika Stockerau | 1 | 1986 |

## EHF coefficient ranking

For season 2017–2018, see footnote
* 23. (32) Lotto Eredivisie (10.78)
* 24. (20) Süper Ligi (9.67)
* 25. (26) Handball Liga Austria (9.00)
* 26. (23) A1 Ethniki (8.00)
* 27. (36) Olís deildin (7.00)