1938–39 in Mandatory Palestine football
The 1938–39 season was the 12th season of competitive football in the British Mandate of Palestine. IFA Competitions. 1938–39 Palestine League. Matches of the 1938–39 Palestine League were due to be continued after the summer break. However, as the Arab revolt intensified in fall 1938 and with the High commissioner issuing restrictive orders on travel throughout Palestine, the EIFA created a two-tiered league for the Tel Aviv region, with matches played in the league counting towards the national league. The Tel Aviv League was completed on 14 January 1939 and in February 1939 a  new league season began, with teams playing in regionalized divisions instead a national league. 1939 Palestine League. Shortly after the previous league season was abandoned, a new season was initiated. With the Arab Revolt still raging, the league played regionally, split into Tel Aviv, Samaria and Southern regional leagues League matches were not completed by the end of the season and continued after the summer break. 1939 Palestine Cup. Hapoel Tel Aviv, defeating Maccabi Avshalom Petah Tikva 2–1 in the final, completed a third consecutive cup triumph. British-run leagues. British Army authorities organized leagues in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tiberias , competed by teams from the different army units, as well as several local and national cup competitions. In Haifa and Tiberias local Jewish teams (Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Kfar Ata in Haifa and Hapoel Tiberias in Tiberias) participated in the leagues, due to travelling difficulties to meet other Jewish clubs. 2nd Battalion Black Watch won the Jerusalem Services and Police League, while the Haifa league was abandoned midway of the second round of fixtures. Maccabi Tel Aviv Tour of Australia. On 24 May 1938, Maccabi Tel Aviv embarked on a five-month tour of Australia, playing 19 matches throughout  the tour, appearing in some matches as Palestine. Maccabi won 11 of the matches, drawn 3 and lost 5, with a goal difference of 92–49, striker Gaul Machlis scoring 28 of the goals for Maccabi. List of matches: The return journey took almost a month, as the team's ship, which was headed to Singapore was rerouted to Bombay, as World War II broke out. Maccabi played two matches against local teams, winning 8–0 and 7–0, before departing via Aden and Port Said back to Palestine.