The 2008–09

Liga Artzit Liga Artzit (, lit. ''Country League'') is the defunct third division of Israeli Football League, beneath its highest division Premier League and the second division Liga Leumit. Before being cancelled in 2009, it was run by the Israel Football A ...

season started on 5 September 2008 and ended on 29 May 2009. Two teams from

Liga Alef Liga Alef () is the third tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into two regional divisions, north and south. History League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Howe ...

were promoted at the end of the previous season: Hapoel Umm al-Fahm and Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam along with two teams relegated from

Liga Leumit The Israeli Liga Leumit (, HaLiga HaLeumit, ) is the second division of the professional Israeli association football (soccer) league system. This second-tier league is placed directly below the Israeli Premier League. Structure There are 16 ...

: Hapoel Nazareth Illit and Hapoel Rishon LeZion.
The two teams

relegated Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...

to Liga Alef were Hapoel Kfar Shalem and Maccabi HaShikma/Ramat Hen. It was scheduled to be the last season before the league closing, as the top two divisions are both expanded to 16 clubs. As a result of the restructuring, the top seven clubs were promoted to

, whilst the eight-placed club played in a play-off against the 11th-placed club in Liga Leumit for a place in that division. The losers of that match and the bottom four clubs in Liga Artzit were relegated to

, which has regained its status as the third tier of Israeli football.

League table

Positions by round

Results

The schedule consisted of three rounds. During first two rounds, each team played each other once home and away for a total of 22 matches. The pairings of the third round were then set according to the standings after first two rounds, giving every team a third game against each opponent for a total of 33 games per team.

First and second round

Third round

Key numbers for pairing determination (number marks position after 22 games):

Promotion playoff

Maccabi Kafr Kanna as the 8th-placed team faced the 11th-placed

team Ironi Ramat HaSharon for a two-legged playoff, Maccabi Kafr Kanna lost both games and were relegated to

. ----

Season statistics

Scoring

*First goal of the season: Wajdi Abu Yones for Bnei Tamra against Maccabi Tirat HaCarmel, 2nd minute (5 September 2008) *Widest winning margin: 8 goals: Hapoel Umm al-Fahm 0–8 Hapoel Marmorek (29 May 2009) *Most goals in a match: 8 goals: Hapoel Umm al-Fahm 0–8 Hapoel Marmorek (29 May 2009)

Discipline

*First yellow card of the season: Roshdi Soph for Bnei Tamra against Maccabi Tirat HaCarmel, 13th minute (5 September 2008) *First red card of the season: Moshe Ben Haim for Ironi Bat Yam against Hapoel Rishon LeZion, 73rd minute (29 August 2008)

Top scorers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 Liga Artzit Liga Artzit seasons 3

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...