Ligat Nashim () is the Israeli women's football league. It has been run by the Israel Football Association since 1998.
Format The league is divided into two divisions, with the top division, titled Women's Premier League (previously Ligat Nashim Rishona, lit. "First Women's League"), comprising 9 teams, and the second division, titled Women's Leumit League (previously Ligat Nashim Shniya, lit. "Second Women's League"), comprising a variable number of teams, depending on registration. In 2015, a third division was created, named Mama-Foot League (meaning: a football league for mothers) at first,Women's Football Launched the Mama-Foot League IFA, 27 January 2015 and changed to Women's Artzit League in 2016. The third division is contested in smaller pitches, over two-halves of 15 minutes each and with unlimited substitutions and the winner does not promote to the second division.Liga Artzit Nashim IFA Oho Mama: Ironi Modi'in Went Top of the Women's Amateur League Dorit Siton, 14 March 2016, Modiinet
Between 2007–08 and 2010–11 the league was made of one division of 12 teams in a round-robin tournament with the top club winning the championship, with a deciding play-off match to decide the winner if the two teams were tied, as was the case in 2009–10. In 2010–11 the IFA re-introduced a second division that previously existed in 2006–07.The FA: The Police Will Return Partially to the Stadiums Dana Bahat, 27 October 2010, One
Since 2011, the participating clubs first play a conventional round-robin schedule, followed by a championship playoff contested by the four top teams, where they meet each other twice. Upon its conclusion, the first place team wins the Israeli championship and qualifies to participate in the UEFA Women's Champions League. The bottom teams play each other once to avoid relegation, with the bottom club dropping to the second division. The second division is played as a double round-robin schedule, each team playing its opponents four times, with the top club promoting to the top division.Championship Regulations IFA, pp. 74-81
Champions A women's football league was organized in late 1998 and started playing during October 1998.Women's Football History Avraham Kochen, Women's Football in Israel (via Internet Archive) In 2003–04 the league was abandoned in mid-season and was never completed.Iche Menache At the End of Ligat Nashim: It's a Year We'd Rather Forget Lior Weitz, 1 June 2014, walla.co.il Women: If There's No League, At Least There's the Cup Lior Weitz, 17 May 2004, walla.co.il
Season First Division Second Division Third Division 1998–99 Maccabi Haifa – – 1999–2000 ASA Tel Aviv University 2000–01 Hapoel Tel Aviv 2001–02 Maccabi Haifa 2002–03 Maccabi Holon 2003–04 League abandoned 2004–05 Maccabi Holon 2005–06 2006–07 Ironi Bat Yam 2007–08 – 2008–09 2009–10 ASA Tel Aviv University 2010–11 Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2011–12 F.C. Ramat HaSharon 2012–13 F.C. Kiryat Gat 2013–14 Maccabi Tzur Shalom Bialik 2014–15 Maccabi Be'er Sheva Bnot Meitav Tel Aviv 2015–16 F.C. Ramat HaSharon Bnot Netanya F.C. 2016–17 F.C. Kiryat Gat Hapoel Ra'anana Bnot Ironi Modi'in 2017–18 Hapoel Be'er Sheva Maccabi Bnot Or Avika 2018–19 ASA Tel Aviv University Maccabi Bnot Emek Hefer Hapoel Bnot Arabe 2019–20 F.C. Ramat HaSharon Hapoel Be'er Sheva ASA Tel Aviv University B 2020–21 F.C. Kiryat Gat Hapoel Marmorek Hapoel Tel Aviv 2021–22 Hapoel Ironi Petah Tikva Hapoel Kiryat Yam 2022–23 Hapoel Ra'anana Or Yehuda 2023–24 Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Atlit 2024–25 Hapoel Ra'anana Hapoel Ironi Bnot Karmiel 2025–26 Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem
Total championships Club Titles ASA Tel Aviv 8 Maccabi Holon 7 Kiryat Gat 6 Maccabi Haifa 2 Ramat HaSharon Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem 1 Hapoel Tel Aviv
References
External links Ligat Nashim Rishona Israel Football Association