2016–17 Liga Alef

The 2016–17 Liga Alef season was the 8th season as third tier since its re-alignment in 2009 and the 75th season of third-tier football in Israel.

The clubs which were ranked 1st in each division promoted to Liga Leumit. The clubs which were ranked between 2nd to 5th places in each division competed in a promotion play-offs, in which the winners, advanced to the final round against the 14th placed club in Liga Leumit.

At the bottom, the bottom two clubs in each division were all automatically relegated to Liga Bet, whilst the two clubs which were ranked in 14th place in each division, entered a promotion/relegation play-offs.

Changes from last season

Team changes

Ironi Nesher and Maccabi Sha'arayim were promoted to Liga Leumit; Maccabi Kiryat Gat and Maccabi Yavne (to South division) were relegated from Liga Leumit.
Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-Tarshiha and Ihud Bnei Majd al-Krum were relegated to Liga Bet from North division, F.C. Tzeirei Kafr Kanna, F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira and F.C. Tira were promoted to the North division from Liga Bet.
Hapoel Morasha Ramat HaSharon and Bnei Eilat were relegated to Liga Bet from South division; Bnei Jaffa and F.C. Dimona were promoted to the South division from Liga Bet.

North Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Hapoel Hadera	28	19	7	2	58	18	+40	64	Promoted to Liga Leumit
2	F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira	28	16	7	5	51	24	+27	55	Promotion Playoffs
3	Hapoel Iksal	28	15	9	4	49	28	+21	54
4	Ironi Tiberias	28	12	12	4	34	24	+10	48
5	Hapoel Beit She'an	28	13	6	9	37	27	+10	45
6	Hapoel Herzliya	28	11	9	8	38	32	+6	42
7	Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata	28	10	7	11	38	32	+6	37
8	Hapoel Migdal HaEmek	28	8	7	13	23	30	−7	31
9	Hapoel Asi Gilboa	28	7	9	12	20	37	−17	30
10	Maccabi Tzur Shalom	28	7	8	13	34	45	−11	29
11	F.C. Tira	28	7	8	13	22	35	−13	29
12	Hapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye	28	7	7	14	23	55	−32	28
13	Hapoel Kafr Kanna	28	6	9	13	22	30	−8	27
14	Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel	28	6	8	14	31	54	−23	26	Relegation Playoffs
15	Tzeirei Kafr Kanna	28	6	7	15	20	40	−20	25	Relegated to Liga Bet
16	F.C. Karmiel Safed^[a]	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Folded

Updated to match(es) played on 28 April 2017. Source: Liga Alef North IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6)deciding match.
Notes:

^ F.C. Karmiel Safed folded in November 2016 due to financial difficulties.^[1]^[2]

South Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Hapoel Marmorek	30	21	5	4	73	26	+47	68	Promoted to Liga Leumit
2	Sektzia Ness Ziona	30	20	6	4	55	19	+36	66	Promotion Playoffs
3	Hapoel Kfar Shalem	30	16	8	6	58	36	+22	56
4	Maccabi Yavne	30	16	8	6	42	26	+16	56
5	F.C. Kafr Qasim	30	15	4	11	41	38	+3	49
6	Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan	30	14	5	11	48	45	+3	47
7	Maccabi Jaffa Kabilio	30	13	7	10	40	30	+10	46
8	F.C. Dimona	30	13	7	10	42	39	+3	46
9	Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden	30	9	8	13	37	39	−2	35
10	Maccabi Kiryat Gat	30	9	6	15	33	43	−10	33
11	Hapoel Azor	30	9	6	15	25	40	−15	33
12	Hapoel Hod HaSharon	30	7	12	11	33	48	−15	33
13	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda	30	8	8	14	28	44	−16	32
14	Beitar Kfar Saba	30	6	8	16	33	43	−10	26	Relegation Playoffs
15	Bnei Jaffa Ortodoxim	30	6	4	20	32	74	−42	22	Relegated to Liga Bet
16	F.C. Shikun HaMizrah	30	4	6	20	29	59	−30	18	Relegated to Liga Bet

Updated to match(es) played on 28 April 2017. Source: Liga Alef South IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of wins; 4) goals scored; 5) head to head; 6)deciding match.

Promotion play-offs

First round

Second and third placed clubs played single match at home against the fourth and fifth placed clubs in their respective regional division.

5 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Hapoel Beit She'an
Melesa 14' Buaron 119'	Report	18' Elimelech

Acre Municipal Stadium

Referee: Idan Leiba

5 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

Hapoel Iksal	1–2	Ironi Tiberias
Naser A Din 41'	Report	18' Hen Yad'an 83' Tawil

Iksal Stadium

Referee: Tzvika Levi

5 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

Sektzia Ness Ziona	0–2 (a.e.t.)	F.C. Kafr Qasim
	Report	113' Edelstein 120' M. Badir

Ness Ziona Stadium

Referee: Shimon Elkabetz

5 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

Hapoel Kfar Shalem	3–1	Maccabi Yavne
Mazor 35' Mizrahi 57' Lubin 60'	Report	18' Farhi

Hatikva Neighborhood Stadium, Tel Aviv

Referee: Ro'I Reinschrieber

Second round

The winners of the first round played single match at home of the higher ranked club (from each regional division).

12 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira	2–5	Ironi Tiberias
Melesa 41' Buaron 85'	Report	7' (pen.), 9', 69' Karakra 41' Getahon 90' Saba'a

Acre Municipal Stadium

Referee: Oren Simanian

12 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

Hapoel Kfar Shalem	1–2	F.C. Kafr Qasim
Mazor 13'	Report	3', 47' Revivo

Hatikva Neighborhood Stadium, Tel Aviv

Third round

19 May 2017

15:15 UTC+3

Ironi Tiberias	1–3	F.C. Kafr Qasim
Yad'an 27'	^[3]	11', 33' (pen.) Ben Shimon 89' Mareev

Netanya Stadium, Netanya

Attendance: 2,500

Referee: Guy Berger

Fourth round - promotion/relegation play-offs

26 May 2017

16:00 UTC+3

F.C. Kafr Qasim	1 – 1	Hapoel Nazareth Illit
Edelstein 55'	Report (in Hebrew)	Atar 7'

Winter Stadium, Ramat Gan

Referee: Alon Yefet

30 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

Hapoel Nazareth Illit	2–1 (a.e.t.)	F.C. Kafr Qasim
Atar 64' Amsis 98'	Report	52' Ben Shimon

Green Stadium, Nazareth Illit

Referee: Erez Papir

Hapoel Nazareth Illit won 3–2 on aggregate and remained in Liga Leumit. F.C. Kafr Qasim remained in Liga Alef.

Relegation play-offs

North play-off

4 May 2017

19:00 UTC+3

Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel	2–1	Hapoel Bnei Zalafa
Taha 55' Azbarga 89'	Report	90+1' Habashi

Ilut Stadium

Referee: Aviad Shiloah

South play-off

5 May 2017

15:00 UTC+3

Beitar Kfar Saba	2–1	Ironi Or Yehuda
Shani 15' Hillel 36'	Report	49' Yakir

Ramat Gan Stadium

Referee: Kobi Lehem HaCohen

References

Liga Alef North 2016/2017 The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)
Liga Alef South 2016/2017 The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)

^ The Chairman Announced the Dissolution of Karmiel/Safed: The Decision is Final Shalom Elbaz, 15 November 2016, One (in Hebrew)
^ Karmiel/Safed Demoted to Liga Bet Sofer Elbaz, 1 December 2016 Ynet (in Hebrew)
^ For the Second Time in a Row: Kafr Qasim in the Battle for the Leumit Kobi Portal, 19 May 2017, DoublePass (in Hebrew)

[table_note_KRS0.075016700697605-3] F.C. Karmiel Safed folded in November 2016 due to financial difficulties.^[1]^[2]

[1] The Chairman Announced the Dissolution of Karmiel/Safed: The Decision is Final Shalom Elbaz, 15 November 2016, One (in Hebrew)

[2] Karmiel/Safed Demoted to Liga Bet Sofer Elbaz, 1 December 2016 Ynet (in Hebrew)

[4] For the Second Time in a Row: Kafr Qasim in the Battle for the Leumit Kobi Portal, 19 May 2017, DoublePass (in Hebrew)

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Liga Alef
North	F.C. Kiryat Yam F.C. Tira Hapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye Hapoel Beit She'an Hapoel Bnei Musmus Hapoel Bnei Zalafa Hapoel Bu'eine Hapoel Kafr Kanna Hapoel Ironi Arraba Hapoel Migdal HaEmek Ihud Bnei Shefa-'Amr Ironi Nesher Maccabi Akhi Nazareth Maccabi Ata Bialik Maccabi Nujeidat Tzeirei Kafr Kanna Tzeirei Umm al-Fahm
South	F.C. Dimona F.C. Jerusalem F.C. Holon Yermiyahu Hapoel Ashdod Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden Hapoel Herzliya Hapoel Lod Hapoel Marmorek Maccabi Kiryat Malakhi Ironi Modi'in Maccabi Ironi Ashdod Maccabi Sha'arayim Maccabi Yavne Nordia Jerusalem Sektzia Ness Ziona Shimshon Kafr Qasim Shimshon Tel Aviv
Seasons (third level)	1938 1940 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
See also: Liga Artzit