Liga Bet () is the fourth tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into four regional divisions.
History League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga Alef with Liga Bet as the second division. The 1952–53 season was also not played, and Liga Bet resumed in 1953–54.
In the 1955–56 season, Liga Leumit came into existence as the new top division, with Liga Alef becoming the second division and Liga Bet demoted to the third division. Restructuring in 1976 saw the creation of Liga Artzit as a new second tier, and the second demotion of Liga Bet, as it became the fourth division. Further restructuring to create the Israeli Premier League in 1999 saw Liga Bet demoted again, this time to the fifth tier. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Liga Artzit was scrapped as the Premier League and Liga Leumit were expanded to 16 clubs each, resulting in Liga Bet returning to the fourth tier.
Structure Since the 1959–60 season, Liga Bet is split into four regional divisions, North A, North B, South A and South B. Because Israel's northern half is much more densely populated than the desert south, the divisions are not spread equally and the southernmost division, South B, covers about two-thirds of the country. Although this inequality is partially offset by the fact that there are so few clubs south of Beersheba (Arad, Dimona, Yeroham, Mitzpe Ramon and Eilat are the only sizable towns south of the city), the northern clubs tend to be clustered in the Galilee region, making travel to away matches much less of a chore.
Each division has sixteen clubs, who play each other home and away to make a 30-game season. The club finishing top of each regional division is promoted to Liga Alef, whilst the second to fifth-placed clubs in each division play-off at the end of the season, until the play-off winner of North A faces the play-off winner of North B, and the play-off winner of South A faces the play-off winner of South B. The two winners advance to a decisive match against the two third-bottom clubs in Liga Alef, North and South, for a place in that division. The club finishing bottom of each regional division is relegated to Liga Gimel, the fifth and bottom tier, whilst another club from each division is relegated after relegation play-offs, involving the clubs that finished twelfth to fifteenth in each division. Coming into Liga Bet are the two clubs are relegated from each of the regional Liga Alef divisions (and one or two more, had they failed the play-off) and the eight clubs promoted from Liga Gimel. The clubs are then pooled and assigned to the most geographically appropriate of the four divisions.
Current members
The following teams participating at the 2026/2027 season:
North A North B South A South B Bnei Maghar Beitar Haifa A.S. Holon Mor Beitar Kiryat Gat F.C. Ahva Kfar Manda F.C. Ironi Ariel Beitar Kfar Saba Beitar Mevaseret Zion F.C. Bnei M.M.B.E. F.C. Kababir Beitar Petah Tikva Bnei Eilat F.C. Hapeol Yarka F.C. Mashhad Beitar Ramat Gan F.C. AradF.C. Shefa-Amr F.C. Netanya Kolat Cohen Beitar Tel Aviv Holon F.C. Hapoel Bnei Ashdod F.C. Tzeirei Kfar Manda F.C. Or Akiva Bnei Jaljulia F.C. Hapeol Yeruham Hapoel Bnei Bi'ina F.C. Tirat HaCarmel Bnei Yehud F.C. Maccabi Ashkelon Hapoel Bnei Ein Mahil F.C. Tzeirei Haifa Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan F.C. Ramla Hapoel Bnei Jadeidi-Makr F.C. Tzofi Haifa Robi Hapoel Kafr Qasim Shouaa F.C. Shikun HaMizrah Hapoel Deir Hanna Hapoel Bnei Ar'ara 'Ara Hapoel Hod HaSharon Ihud Tzeiri Abu Ghosh Hapoel Ihud Bnei Sumei Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel Hapoel Kiryat Ono Hapoel Bnei Kuseife Hapoel Kaukab Hapoel Giv'at Olga Bnei Jaffa Ortodoxim Hapoel Ironi Ashkelon Maccabi Abu Snan Hapoel Ramot Menashe Megiddo F.C. Hapoel Lod Beni Regev Hapoel Segev Shalom Maccabi Ahva Sha'ab Ihud Bnei Baqa Maccabi Ironi Amishav Petah Tikva Maccabi Be'er Sheva Maccabi Bnei Jadeidi-Makr Maccabi Ironi Kfer Yona Maccabi Ramat HaSharon Maccabi Ironi Netivot Maccabi Ihud Bnei Ibtin Maccabi Isfiya Ironi Beit Dagan Sektzia Ness Ziona
Previous seasons
North A SeasonWinnerRelegatedFourth tier1998–99Hapoel HurfeishHapoel Karmiel, Beitar Tiberias, Hapoel Bu'eineFifth tier1999–2000Tzeirei NahfMaccabi Givat HaRakafot2000–01Maccabi Ironi ShlomiHapoel Bnei Kafr Yasif, Beitar Safed, Hapoel Ironi I'billin2001–02Hapoel TubaHapoel Ramot Menashe Megiddo2002–03Hapoel MakrMaccabi Bnei Yarka, Hapoel Kisra2003–04Hapoel Bnei JadeidiMaccabi Bir al-Maksur2004–05Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-TarshihaBeitar Acre, Maccabi Majd al-Krum2005–06Beitar SafedHapoel Ironi I'billin2006–07Beitar Ihud MashhadHapoel Kisra, Hapoel Deir Hana2007–08Ahva ArrabaMaccabi Kafr Yasif, Hapoel Yanuh2008–09Maccabi Ironi JattBnei Abu Snan, Beitar Kafr KannaFourth tier2009–10Ahi AcreMaccabi Ironi Kabul, Hapoel Halat al-Sharif Tamra2010–11Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-TarshihaHapoel Nahariya, Maccabi Kafr Sumei2011–12Tzeirei Bir al-MaksurMaccabi Ironi Tirat HaCarmel, Hapoel Bnei Jadeidi2012–13Beitar NahariyaHapoel Ahva Haifa, Tzeirei Bir al-Maksur2013–14Ihud Bnei Majd al-KrumMaccabi Tamra, Bnei Arraba2014–15Hapoel Kafr KannaAhva Arraba, Hapoel Ironi Bnei I'billin2015–16Tzeirei Kafr KannaAhi Bir al-Maksur, Hapoel Bnei Maghar
North B SeasonWinnerRelegatedFourth tier1998–99Maccabi HaderaHapoel Ilut, Maccabi Umm al-FahmFifth tier1999–2000Maccabi Ironi Tirat HaCarmelIroni Zikhron Ya'akov, Hapoel Barta'a, Maccabi Beit She'an2000–01Hapoel Asi GilboaHapoel Arab Nujeidat, Beitar Iksal, Ironi Sayid Umm al-Fahm2001–02Maccabi Tzur ShalomHapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye, Maccabi Baqa al-Gharbiyye, Hapoel Fureidis2002–03Hapoel ReinehHapoel Nahliel2003–04Hapoel AfulaHapoel Bnei Nazareth2004–05Hapoel Bnei TamraNone2005–06Hapoel Ahva HaifaHapoel Kafr Misr/Nein2006–07Ironi Sayid Umm Al-FahmMaccabi Daliyat al-Karmel, Hapoel Tel Hanan2007–08Maccabi Kafr QaraHapoel Yokneam, Maccabi Or Akiva2008–09Maccabi Umm al-FahmHapoel Deir el-Asad, Maccabi Sha'abFourth tier2009–10Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel Beitar Ihud Mashhad, Hapoel Bnei Musmus Ma'ale Iron2010–11Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel Hapoel Ironi Ar'ara, Hapoel Bnei Jisr az-Zarqa2011–12Hapoel Migdal HaEmekMaccabi Or Akiva, Maccabi Ironi Barta'a2012–13Hapoel Beit She'an MesilotF.C. Kafr Kama, Ihud Bnei Baqa2013–14Ironi NesherHapoel Isfiya, F.C. Bu'eine2014–15Hapoel Ironi Baqa al-Gharbiyye Hapoel Bnei Nujeidat, Hapoel Umm al-Ghanem Nein2015–16F.C Haifa Robi ShapiraIhud Bnei Baqa, F.C. Pardes Hanna-Karkur
South A SeasonWinnerRelegatedFourth tier1998–99Hapoel Kiryat OnoMaccabi Qalansawe, Hapoel Tel Mond, Maccabi Aharon HolonFifth tier1999–2000Hapoel Herzliya 1Hapoel Ar'ara2000–01Hapoel TiraMaccabi Bnei Tira, Maccabi Kafr Qasim2001–02Maccabi HaShikma Ramat HenBeitar Holon, Hapoel Kafr Qasim, Maccabi Qalansawe, Beitar Ariel, Beitar Nes Tubruk 22002–03F.C. Kafr QasimShimshon Bnei Tayibe 32003–04Hapoel QalansaweM.M. Giv'at Shmuel, Maccabi Montefiore 42004–05Ironi Bat YamMaccabi Bnei Tira, Beitar Kiryat Ono2005–06Maccabi Amishav Petah TikvaBeitar Jaffa, A.S. Holon2006–07Maccabi Ironi Kfar Yona 5Hapoel Kiryat Ono, Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jaffa2007–08Hapoel HaderaBeitar Pardes Hanna, Hapoel Qalansawe2008–09Shimshon Bnei Tayibe 6Hapoel Hod HaSharon, Maccabi Ironi Or YehudaFourth tier2009–10Maccabi Kabilio JaffaOtzma Holon, Hapoel Ramat Yisrael2010–11Beitar Kfar SabaBeitar Petah Tikva, Hapoel Oranit2011–12Hapoel AzorHapoel Pardesiya, Shimshon Bnei Tayibe2012–13Hapoel Mahane Yehuda 7Gadna Tel Aviv, Shikun Vatikim Ramat Gan2013–14Hapoel Morasha Ramat HaSharon 8Maccabi HaSharon Netanya, Shimshon Bnei Tayibe2014–15Hapoel Bik'at HaYardenMaccabi Bnei Jaljulia, Otzma Holon2015–16F.C. Bnei Jaffa Ortodoxim 9Hapoel Tzafririm Holon, Ironi Beit Dagan
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
South B SeasonWinnerRelegatedFourth tier1998–99A.S. Ramat EliyahuBeitar Beit ShemeshFifth tier1999–2000Hapoel Marmorek1None2000–01Ironi Ofakim 2Hapoel Rahat 32001–02Maccabi Be'er ShevaTzeirei Rahat, Maccabi Neve Alon Lod, Hapoel Aliyah Kfar Saba2002–03Beitar Giv'at Ze'evHapoel Rahat, Hapoel Sde Uzziah2003–04Hapoel Bnei LodNone 42004–05Hapoel Arad 5None 62005–06Hapoel Maxim Lod 7 8Maccabi Yehud 92006–07Maccabi Ironi NetivotMaccabi Kiryat Ekron, Hapoel Bnei Lakhish2007–08Hapoel Masos/Segev Shalom 10Hapoel Tel Sheva, Hapoel Oranit2008–09Hapoel Tzafririm HolonHapoel F.C. Hevel Modi'in, Hapoel JaljuliaFourth tier2009–10Bnei EilatMaccabi Be'er Ya'akov, Hapoel Tirat Shalom2010–11Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem 11Beitar Giv'at Ze'ev, Ironi Ramla2011–12Maccabi Sha'arayimMaccabi Ironi Sderot, Hapoel Mevaseret Zion2012–13Maccabi Be'er Ya'akovHapoel Merhavim, Bnei Yehud2013–14F.C. Shikun HaMizrahMaccabi Ironi Sderot, Hapoel Abirei Bat Yam2014–15Bnei EilatF.C. Bnei Ra'anana, Hapoel Arad2015–16F.C. DimonaHapoel Merhavim, Hapoel Rahat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
External links