Israeli Football Launches New Third-Tier National League Starting 2027/28 Season

The Israeli Football Association is set to establish a new professional third-tier league, called Liga Artzit, beginning with the 2027/28 season. The league will be fully professional and managed by the association, marking a significant restructuring of the national football system.

Liga Artzit will initially feature between 12 and 18 teams. The base lineup will include two teams relegated from the National League and five promoted from Liga Alef each cycle. The league can expand by up to six additional teams if affiliated reserve teams choose to join. Promotion and relegation will mirror the system between the Premier League and National League, with two teams relegated from the National League and two promoted from Liga Artzit each season. Between Liga Artzit and Liga Alef, two teams will be relegated directly and one will face a playoff.

Financially, the minimum budget for each Liga Artzit club will be 2.25 million shekels, with a proposal to gradually increase this to 2.5 million shekels over three years under consideration. The league will enforce full financial oversight.

Reserve teams, named after their parent clubs with a "B" suffix (e.g., Maccabi Tel Aviv B), will be integrated as part of the parent club rather than separate legal entities. Their rosters will primarily consist of players under 23, with up to three over-23 players allowed per match. Reserve teams cannot compete in the same league as their parent club; if the parent club is relegated to the reserve team's league, the reserve team will be demoted further. Reserve teams are barred from cup competitions. Up to four reserve teams will be allowed in the National League. If a reserve team qualifies for promotion, the lowest-ranked reserve team in the National League will be relegated regardless of its position.

Player transfers will allow each team one foreign player without age restrictions, who will not count against the over-23 player limit. Players may move freely between reserve and parent teams, with some restrictions during transfer windows. Injured players sidelined for at least a month may temporarily move to the reserve team for rehabilitation.

Matches will be officiated by a four-referee team, including a main referee, two assistants, and a fourth official, similar to the National League setup.

This new league structure aims to professionalize Israeli football's third tier and improve player development pathways.