# 2015–16 Liga Leumit

The 2015–16 Liga Leumit was the 17th season as second tier since its re-alignment in 1999 and the 74th season of second-tier football in Israel.
A total of sixteen teams were contesting in the league, including eleven sides from the 2014–15 season, the three promoted teams from 2014–15 Liga Alef and the two relegated teams from 2014–15 Israeli Premier League.

## Changes from 2014–15 season
### Team changes

Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv and Hapoel Kfar Saba, were promoted to the 2015–16 Israeli Premier League.
Hapoel Petah Tikva and FC Ashdod were directly relegated to the 2015–16 Liga Leumit after finishing the 2014–15 Israeli Premier League season in the bottom two places.
Hakoah Ramat Gan, and Ironi Tiberias were directly relegated to Liga Alef after finishing in the previous season in last two league places. They were replaced by Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem and Hapoel Ashkelon who finished first their respective 2014–15 Liga Alef.

## Overview
### Stadia and locations

| Club | Home City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla | Tel Aviv and Ramla | Ramla Municipal Stadium | 2,000 |
| F.C. Ashdod | Ashdod | Yud-Alef Stadium | 7,800 |
| Hapoel Afula | Afula | Afula Illit Stadium | 3,000 |
| Hapoel Ashkelon | Ashkelon | Sala Stadium | 5,250 |
| Hapoel Bnei Lod | Lod | Lod Municipal Stadium | 3,000 |
| Hapoel Jerusalem | Jerusalem | Teddy Stadium | 31,733 |
| Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem | Jerusalem | Teddy Stadium | 31,733 |
| Hapoel Nazareth Illit | Nazareth Illit | Green Stadium | 4,000 |
| Hapoel Petah Tikva | Petah Tikva | HaMoshava Stadium | 11,500 |
| Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | Ramat HaSharon | Grundman Stadium | 4,300 |
| Hapoel Ramat Gan | Ramat Gan | Ramat Gan Stadium | 13,370 |
| Hapoel Rishon LeZion | Rishon LeZion | Haberfeld Stadium | 6,000 |
| Maccabi Ahi Nazareth | Nazareth | Ilut Stadium | 4,932 |
| Maccabi Herzliya | Herzliya | Herzliya Municipal Stadium | 8,100 |
| Maccabi Kiryat Gat | Kiryat Gat | Sala Stadium | 5,250 |
| Maccabi Yavne | Yavne | Ness Ziona Stadium | 3,500 |
^A The club is playing their home games at a neutral venue because their own ground does not meet Premier League requirements. ^B While Kiryat Gat Municipal Stadium is under construction. Maccabi Kiryat Gat will host their home games in Sala Stadium. ^C While Yavne Municipal Stadium is under construction. Maccabi Yavne will host their home games in Ness Ziona Stadium.

## Regular season

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Ashdod | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 52 | 32 | +20 | 57 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 2 | Hapoel Ashkelon | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 50 | 31 | +19 | 50 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 3 | Hapoel Petah Tikva | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 40 | 37 | +3 | 47 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 4 | Maccabi Herzliya | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 36 | 29 | +7 | 46 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 5 | Maccabi Ahi Nazareth | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 34 | 35 | −1 | 44 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 6 | Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 36 | 42 | −6 | 44 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 7 | Hapoel Bnei Lod | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 43 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 8 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | 30 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 40 | 32 | +8 | 42 | Qualification for the Promotion playoffs |
| 9 | Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 42 | 46 | −4 | 42 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 10 | Hapoel Afula | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 39 | +4 | 41 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 11 | Hapoel Rishon LeZion | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 42 | 43 | −1 | 41 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 12 | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 43 | 38 | +5 | 40 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 13 | Maccabi Yavne | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 37 | 41 | −4 | 33 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 14 | Hapoel Jerusalem | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 26 | 37 | −11 | 31 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 15 | Hapoel Nazareth Illit | 30 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 26 | 40 | −14 | 28 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |
| 16 | Maccabi Kiryat Gat | 30 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 47 | −29 | 19 | Qualification for the Relegation playoffs |

## Playoffs
### Top playoff

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Ashdod (P) | 37 | 19 | 13 | 5 | 66 | 38 | +28 | 70 | Promoted to Israeli Premier League |
| 2 | Hapoel Ashkelon (P) | 37 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 62 | 40 | +22 | 62 | Promoted to Israeli Premier League |
| 3 | Hapoel Ramat Gan | 37 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 56 | |
| 4 | Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem | 37 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 56 | |
| 5 | Maccabi Herzliya | 37 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 50 | 43 | +7 | 55 | |
| 6 | Hapoel Petah Tikva | 37 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 54 | 55 | −1 | 52 | |
| 7 | Maccabi Ahi Nazareth | 37 | 15 | 6 | 16 | 40 | 49 | −9 | 51 | |
| 8 | Hapoel Bnei Lod | 37 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 36 | 42 | −6 | 44 | |

### Bottom playoff

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| 9 | Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla | 37 | 19 | 4 | 14 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 61 | |
| 10 | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | 37 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 50 | |
| 11 | Hapoel Afula | 37 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 53 | 53 | 0 | 50 | |
| 12 | Hapoel Rishon LeZion | 37 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 48 | |
| 13 | Hapoel Nazareth Illit | 37 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 44 | |
| 14 | Hapoel Jerusalem (O) | 37 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 39 | 50 | −11 | 40 | Qualification for the relegation play-offs |
| 15 | Maccabi Yavne (R) | 37 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 44 | 58 | −14 | 36 | Relegated to Liga Alef |
| 16 | Maccabi Kiryat Gat (R) | 37 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 28 | 70 | −42 | 26 | Relegated to Liga Alef |

## Relegation playoff
### Relegation playoff

The 14th-placed Hapoel Jerusalem faced 2015–16 Liga Alef promotion play-offs winner, F.C. Kafr Qasim. The matches took place on May 27 and 31, 2016.
Hapoel Jerusalem won 3–1 on aggregate and remained in Liga Leumit. F.C. Kafr Qasim remained in Liga Alef.

## Season statistics
### Scoring

    As of matches played on 20 May 2016.
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Jordan Faucher | Maccabi Herzliya | 21 |
| 2 | Miroslav Antonov | Maccabi Yavne | 16 |
| 2 | Kpéhi Brossou | Hapoel Ramat Gan | 16 |
| 2 | Idan Shriki | Hapoel Ashkelon | 16 |
| 5 | Ben Azubel | Hapoel Petah Tikva | 15 |
| 6 | Or Inbrom | F.C. Ashdod | 14 |
| 7 | Ya'akov Berihon | Hapoel Rishon LeZion | 13 |
| 7 | Branko Mihajlović | Hapoel Petah Tikva | 13 |
| 7 | Rotem Shmul | Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla | 13 |
| 7 | Yossi Shivhon | Hapoel Ramat HaSharon | 13 |
Source: Israel Football Association

### Discipline

* Most yellow cards: 13
** Salem Abu Siam (Hapoel Bnei Lod)
** Daniel Solomon (Maccabi Kiryat Gat)
* Most red cards: 3
** Israel Rosh (Hapoel Ramat Gan)
** Uri Peso (Hapoel Petah Tikva)
** Ryan Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem)