The Nederlandse Handbal Eredivisie is the top Dutch professional handball league. The winners of the Eredivisie are recognised as the Dutch handball champions.
Competition format
In the first phase of the season, the top 6 teams of the previous season participate in the BENE-League competition. They are joined by the top 6 teams from Belgium. At the same time, the remaining 12 teams, participate in a national competition. In the second phase, the 4 best ranking Dutch teams of the BENE-League, who automatically qualified for next season's BENE-League, compete in a 2-round system for the national title. The first round is a full competition among those 4. In the second round the 2 teams which ended on top, decide in a best-of-three who wins the title. In the final ranking, these teams end up on ranks 1 to 4. The 2 lowest ranking Dutch teams of the BENE-League, together with the 2 best ranking teams of the national competition, compete in full competition, for 2 spots in next season's BENE-League. In the final ranking, these teams end up on ranks 5 to 8. The teams which ended 3 to 10 in the national competition play a 3-round system to decide their final ranking (ranks 9 to 16). Something like a knock-out system with the major difference that losing a match doesn't mean you get eliminated but you continue for the lower ranks, where winning means you continue for the better ranks. So the teams winning in the first round continue for the final ranks 9 to 12 and those losing for the ranks 13 to 16. The same principle is repeated in the second round and final ranks are decided in the third round. Last but not least, the 2 teams who ended at the bottom of the national competition, together with 4-period winners of the Eerste Divisie compete in a 2-round system for 1 spot in next season's Eredivisie. In the first round, the 6 teams are split into 2 groups of 3 in such a way that the 2 Eredivisie teams are never in the same group. In each group, the 3 teams play a full competition. The winners of both groups decide in a best-of-two who plays next season in the Eredivisie. The final spot in the Eredivisie is taken by the champions of the Eerste Divisie.
2020–21 season The following 16 clubs compete in the Eredivisie during the 2020–21 season. TeamCityArena NotesGreen Park/AalsmeerAalsmeerSporthal De Bloemhof Club playing inBENE-LeagueHerpertz Bevo HCPanningenSportArena De HeufJD Techniek/Hurry-UpZwartemeerSucces Holidayparcs ArenaQuintusKwintsheulEekhout HalKEMBIT-LIONSSittard-GeleenStadssporthal SittardKRAS/VolendamVolendamSporthal de OpperdamGreen Park/Aalsmeer IIAalsmeerSporthal De Bloemhof Herpertz Bevo HC IIPanningenSportArena De HeufBFCBeekSportlandgoed De HaamenDFS ArnhemArnhemRijkerswoerdDynamicoOssSporthal RusheuvelOosting/E&OEmmenSporthal AngelsloEHCLeidschendam-VoorburgEuropean Sports DomeFeyenoordRotterdamWielewaalGHVGoirleSporthal De WisselHavasAlmereSporthal StedenwijkIMTO Benelux/HellasThe HagueHellashalThe Dome/Handbal HoutenHoutenSportcentrum The DomeV&L-Sittardia CombibatieSittard-GeleenLACO GlanerbrookRED-RAG/TachosWaalwijkTopsporthal De SlagenKRAS/Volendam IIVolendamSporthal De OpperdamWHC-HercluesThe HagueLoosduinen
Eredivisie previous champions
1954 : Aalsmeer 1955 : PSV Handbal 1956 : Olympia Hengelo 1957 : Olympia Hengelo (2) 1958 : Olympia Hengelo (3) 1959: Aalsmeer (2) 1960 : NILOC Amsterdam 1961 : NILOC Amsterdam (2) 1962 : Operatie '55 1963 : Operatie '55 (2) 1964 : Operatie '55 (3) 1965 : Operatie '55 (4) 1966 : Sittardia 1967 : ESCA Arnhem 1968 : Sittardia (2) 1969 : Sittardia (3) 1970 : Sittardia (4) 1971 : Sittardia (5) 1972 : Sittardia (6) 1973 : Sittardia (7) 1974 : Sittardia (8) 1975 : Sittardia (9) 1976 : Sittardia (10) 1977 : Sittardia (11) 1978 : Duyvestein/Hermes 1979 : Sittardia (12) 1980 : NCR/Blauw-Wit 1981 : NCR/Blauw-Wit (2) 1982 : Vlug en Lenig 1983 : Vlug en Lenig (2) 1984 : Vlug en Lenig (3) 1985 : Aalsmeer (3) 1986 : Herschi/V&L (4) 1987 : Sittardia (13) 1988 : Kwantum/Blauw-Wit (3) 1989 : HAKA/E&O 1990 : VGZ/Sittardia (14) 1991 : HAKA/E&O (2) 1992 : HAKA/E&O (3) 1993 : VGZ/Sittardia (15) 1994 : VGZ/Sittardia (16) 1995 : Thrifty/Aalsmeer (4) 1996 : ANOVA/E&O (4) 1997 : Horn/Sittardia (17) 1998 : ANOVA/E&O (5) 1999 : Horn/Sittardia (18) 2000 : ShowBizCity/Aalsmeer (5) 2001 : ShowBizCity/Aalsmeer (6) 2002 : Wealer/V&L (5) 2003 : FIQAS/Aalsmeer (7) 2004 : FIQAS/Aalsmeer (8) 2005 : KRAS/Volendam 2006 : KRAS/Volendam (2) 2007 : KRAS/Volendam (3) 2008 : Hellas Den Haag 2009 : FIQAS/Aalsmeer (9) 2010 : KRAS/Volendam (4) 2011 : KRAS/Volendam (5) 2012 : KRAS/Volendam (6) 2013 : KRAS/Volendam (7) 2014 : Eurotech/Bevo HC 2015 : OCI-LIONS 2016 : OCI-LIONS (2) 2017 : OCI-LIONS (3) 2018 : FIQAS/Aalsmeer (10) 2019 : Green Park/Aalsmeer (11) 2020 : No champion 2021: Green Park/Aalsmeer (12) 2022: Green Park/Aalsmeer (13) 2023 : KEMBIT-LIONS (4) 2024 : Beekse Fusie Club
Club Titles Year 1. Sittardia 18 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999 2. Aalsmeer 13 1954, 1959, 1985, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 3. Volendam 7 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 4. E&O 5 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998 Vlug en Lenig 5 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 2002 6. Operatie '55 4 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 Limburg Lions 4 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023 7. Olympia Hengelo 3 1956, 1957, 1958 Blauw-Wit Neerbeek 3 1980, 1981, 1988 10. NILOC Amsterdam 2 1960, 1961 11. PSV Handbal 1 1955 ESCA Arnhem 1 1967 Hermes Den Haag 1 1978 Hellas Den Haag 1 2008 Bevo HC 1 2014 Beekse Fusie Club 1 2024
EHF coefficient ranking For season 2017/2018, see footnote (PDF). European Handball Federation.
24. (23) Eerste Nationele 25. (28) Sales Lentz League 26. (32) Eredivisie 27. (26) Extraliga 28. (22) Handball Premier
References
External links Official website