Handball Liga Austria


The HLA Meisterliga is the professional handball league of Austria.

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.

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

TeamCity
HC Linz AGLinz
SC FerlachFerlach
Handballclub Fivers MargaretenWien
UHK KremsKrems an der Donau
Jags VöslauBad Vöslau
Alpla HC HardHard
HSG Xentis LipizzanerheimatKöflach
BT FüchseBruck an der Mur
HSG GrazGraz
Handball TirolSchwaz
Bregenz HandballBregenz
UHC HollabrunnHollabrunn

Handball Liga Austria past champions

  • 1961 : ATSV Linz
  • 1962 : WAT Atzgersdorf
  • 1963 : Rapid Wien
  • 1964 : Rapid Wien
  • 1965 : Rapid Wien
  • 1966 : Union West Wien
  • 1967 : Rapid Wien
  • 1968 : UHC Salzburg
  • 1969 : UHC Salzburg
  • 1970 : Union Edelweiß Linz
  • 1971 : Salzburger AK 1914
  • 1972 : UHC Salzburg
  • 1973 : Union Krems
  • 1974 : Oberglas Bärnbach
  • 1975 : Union Krems
  • 1976 : Oberglas Bärnbach
  • 1977 : Union Krems
  • 1978 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1979 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1980 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1981 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1982 : Raika Köflach
  • 1983 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
  • 1984 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
  • 1985 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
  • 1986 : Union Raika Stockerau
  • 1987 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
  • 1988 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
  • 1989 : UHK Volksbank Wien
  • 1990 : ATSE Waagner Biro Graz
  • 1991 : UHK Volksbank Wien
  • 1992 : UHK Volksbank Wien
  • 1993 : UHK Volksbank Wien
  • 1994 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1995 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1996 : ASKÖ Linz
  • 1997 : HC Sparkasse Bruck
  • 1998 : HC Sparkasse Bruck
  • 1999 : HSG Raiff. Bärnbach/Köflach
  • 2000 : HSG Raiff. Bärnbach/Köflach
  • 2001 : jet2web Bregenz
  • 2002 : jet2web Bregenz
  • 2003 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2004 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2005 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2006 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2007 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2008 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2009 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2010 : A1 Bregenz
  • 2011 : HC Fivers Margareten
  • 2012 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2013 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2014 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2015 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2016 : HC Fivers Margareten
  • 2017 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2018 : HC Fivers Margareten
  • 2019 : UHK Krems
  • 2020 : No Champion
  • 2021 : Alpla HC Hard
  • 2022 : UHK Krems
  • 2023 : SG Handball West Wien
  • 2024 : HC Linz AG
  • 2025 : UHK Krems
ClubTitlesYear
1.Bregenz Handball92001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
2.HC Linz AG81978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2024
3.Alpla HC Hard72003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021
4.ATSE Waagner Biro Graz61983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990
5.SG Handball West Wien51966, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2023
6.HSG Raiffeisen Bärnbach/Köflach51974, 1976, 1983, 1999, 2000
7.UHK Krems51973, 1975, 1977, 2019, 2022
8.Rapid Wien41963, 1964, 1965, 1967
9.UHC Salzburg31968, 1969, 1972
10.HC Fivers Margareten32011, 2016, 2018
11.HC Bruck21997, 1998
12.ATSV Linz11961
13.WAT Atzgersdorf11962
14.Union Edelweiß Linz11970
15.Salzburger AK 191411971
16.Union Raika Stockerau11986

EHF coefficient ranking

For season 2017–2018, see footnote