Israeli Handball League
 |
|
| Countries |
 Israel
|
|---|---|
| Confederation | EHF |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Relegation to | Liga Leumit |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| International cup(s) |
Champions League EHF Cup |
| Current champions | Maccabi Tel Aviv (2015–16) |
| Most championships | Hapoel Rishon Lezion (17 titles) |
| TV partners | Sport 5 |
| Website | www.handballisr.co.il |
Ligat Ha'Al (Hebrew: ליגת העל בכדוריד) is the top Israeli professional handball league. The league is sponsored by Winner Corporation since 2010 and known also as Ligat Winner. Founded in 1954, the league currently consists of 12 teams and managed by the Israeli Handball Association. Maccabi Rehovot was the first team to win the championship, while Hapoel Rishon Lezion is most successful club with 17 titles over the years. The league games are broadcast by Sport 5 channel.
The league was established in 1954–55 with 10 teams competing in a double round-robin tournament, and with Maccabi Rehovot winning the first three championships. At first, all matches were played as Field handball, with 11 players on the field, before reverting to 7-players handball, with the last matches being held on football fields were held in 1963. Until the eighties, the handball in Israel was centered in places such as Rehovot, Ramat Gan and Petah Tikva, as 7 clubs played in these cities. But starting in the 1980's, the hegemony moved to Rishon Lezion, as local Maccabi won three titles in a row between 1984 and 1986. Important clubs like Hapoel Rehovot were dissolved because of financial issues. The three cities which were very successful in the Israeli handball, Rehovot, Ramat Gan and Petah Tikva, deteriorated.
Through all the 90's, Hapoel Rishon indisputably dominated the league and won 9 championship in a row. They enjoyed from the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and signed a lot of players who were famous in Europe such as Igor Bialik, Leonid Bernstein, Evgeni Oleinik and more. In 2002 Hapoel lost the championship to ASA Tel Aviv. One year later Hapoel won it again but the hegemony and the full domination in the handball ended when Maccabi Rishon with the notable head coach Gilad Maor grew stronger. Maccabi Rishon won their first championship in the new age in 2004, after they won ASA Tel Aviv in the final. Since then, for ten years, the championship stayed in Rishon Lezion and moved between Maccabi and Hapoel.
...
Wikipedia