Handball Liga Austria
Austrian handball league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The HLA Meisterliga (Handball Liga Austria Meisterliga) is the professional handball league of Austria.
Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 Handball Liga Austria | |
 | |
| Sport | Handball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1961 |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country | Austria |
| Confederation | EHF |
| Most recent champion | UHK Krems (6) (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Bregenz Handball (9 titles) |
| Relegation to | HLA Challenge |
| International cups | EHF Cup EHF Challenge Cup |
| Official website | http://www.hla.at/ |
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.[1]
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
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) [2]
- 2021 : Alpla HC Hard (7)
- 2022 : UHK Krems (5)
- 2023 : SG Handball West Wien (6)
- 2024 : HC Linz AG (7)
- 2025 : UHK Krems (6)
| Club | Titles | Year[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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[4]
- 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)
