The HLA Meisterliga (Handball Liga Austria Meisterliga) is the professional handball league of Austria.
Competition format The current format was introduced in the 2025-2026 season. The competition has 12 teams. The season begins with a regular season where each team plays each other twice, home and away. The table is then separated into two parts, a championship group and a relegation group. The top eight teams meet in quarterfinals, followed by semi- and lastly a final. The winner is declared Austrian champion. The bottom four meets in relegation playoff to see who gets relegated to the HLA Challenger League.
Format prior to 2021-2022 The leagued consisted of 10 teams, who in the regular season played each other twice, home and away. The first five teams qualify for a first playoff round, while the last five play a play-down round. At the end of this second round, the five teams of the playoff round and the top three teams of the play-down round play elimination rounds. The last two play a relegation round.
Current teams
Teams for season 2025–26
TeamCityHC Linz AGLinzSC FerlachFerlachHandballclub Fivers MargaretenWienUHK KremsKrems an der DonauJags VöslauBad VöslauAlpla HC HardHardHSG Xentis LipizzanerheimatKöflachBT FüchseBruck an der MurHSG GrazGrazHandball TirolSchwazBregenz HandballBregenzUHC HollabrunnHollabrunn
Handball Liga Austria past champions
1961 : ATSV Linz 1962 : WAT Atzgersdorf 1963 : Rapid Wien 1964 : Rapid Wien (2) 1965 : Rapid Wien (3) 1966 : Union West Wien 1967 : Rapid Wien (4) 1968 : UHC Salzburg 1969 : UHC Salzburg (2) 1970 : Union Edelweiß Linz 1971 : Salzburger AK 1914 1972 : UHC Salzburg (3) 1973 : Union Krems 1974 : Oberglas Bärnbach 1975 : Union Krems (2) 1976 : Oberglas Bärnbach (2) 1977 : Union Krems (3) 1978 : ASKÖ Linz 1979 : ASKÖ Linz (2) 1980 : ASKÖ Linz (3) 1981 : ASKÖ Linz (4) 1982 : Raika Köflach (3) 1983 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz 1984 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (2) 1985 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (3) 1986 : Union Raika Stockerau 1987 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (4) 1988 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (5) 1989 : UHK Volksbank Wien (2) 1990 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz (6) 1991 : UHK Volksbank Wien (3) 1992 : UHK Volksbank Wien (4) 1993 : UHK Volksbank Wien (5) 1994 : ASKÖ Linz (5) 1995 : ASKÖ Linz (6) 1996 : ASKÖ Linz (7) 1997 : HC Sparkasse Bruck 1998 : HC Sparkasse Bruck (2) 1999 : HSG Raiff. Bärnbach/Köflach (4) 2000 : HSG Raiff. Bärnbach/Köflach (5) 2001 : jet2web Bregenz 2002 : jet2web Bregenz (2) 2003 : Alpla HC Hard 2004 : A1 Bregenz (3) 2005 : A1 Bregenz (4) 2006 : A1 Bregenz (5) 2007 : A1 Bregenz (6) 2008 : A1 Bregenz (7) 2009 : A1 Bregenz (8) 2010 : A1 Bregenz (9) 2011 : HC Fivers Margareten 2012 : Alpla HC Hard (2) 2013 : Alpla HC Hard (3) 2014 : Alpla HC Hard (4) 2015 : Alpla HC Hard (5) 2016 : HC Fivers Margareten (2) 2017 : Alpla HC Hard (6) 2018 : HC Fivers Margareten (3) 2019 : UHK Krems (4) 2020 : No Champion (COVID-19 pandemic) 2021 : Alpla HC Hard (7) 2022 : UHK Krems (5) 2023 : SG Handball West Wien (6) 2024 : HC Linz AG (7) 2025 : UHK Krems (6) 2026 : Jags Vöslau (1)
Club Titles Year 1. Bregenz Handball 9 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2. HC Linz AG 8 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2024 3. Alpla HC Hard 7 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021 4. ATSE Waagner Biro Graz 6 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 5. SG Handball West Wien 5 1966, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2023 6. HSG Raiffeisen Bärnbach/Köflach 5 1974, 1976, 1983, 1999, 2000 7. UHK Krems 5 1973, 1975, 1977, 2019, 2022 8. Rapid Wien 4 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967 9. UHC Salzburg 3 1968, 1969, 1972 10. HC Fivers Margareten 3 2011, 2016, 2018 11. HC Bruck 2 1997, 1998 12. ATSV Linz 1 1961 13. WAT Atzgersdorf 1 1962 14. Union Edelweiß Linz 1 1970 15. Salzburger AK 1914 1 1971 16. Union Raika Stockerau 1 1986
EHF coefficient ranking For season 2017–2018, see footnote (PDF). European Handball Federation.
23. (32) Lotto Eredivisie (10.78) 24. (20) Süper Ligi (9.67) 25. (26) Handball Liga Austria (9.00) 26. (23) A1 Ethniki (8.00) 27. (36) Olís deildin (7.00)
External links Official website
References