The Indonesian football league system is a series of league system for association football clubs in Indonesia. Since 1994, Liga Indonesia is the league competition featuring association football clubs, as a result of two existing top-flight football leagues merger: Perserikatan (amateur) and Galatama (semi professional). Liga Indonesia is managed by PSSI, the Indonesian national football federation, and operated by PT. Liga Indonesia Baru and its previous iterations (Badan Liga Indonesia from 1994–2008 and PT Liga Indonesia from 2008–2015).

There are three levels of competition in the hierarchy recently. The top two in the hierarchy are professional competitions, whereas the rest are amateur and semi-pro.^[1]

Structure

Liga 1 is the first-tier of football league in Indonesia. Until 2017, it was known as Indonesian Super League. The second-tier is Liga 2, formerly Premier Division. Liga 1 and 2 are professional leagues and governed by PT. Liga Indonesia Baru.^[2][3][4] LIB also organized the youth competition, Elite Pro Academy.^[4]

The only amateur league is Liga 3. Liga 3 consists of an unlimited number of amateur teams. Every province, in total 34 provinces in Indonesia, holds its own provincial league and the number of teams per province may vary. The winners of the provincial leagues will advance to the national play-off round or national round.

Men's

History

Pre-Independence

From 1914 to 1930, Indonesia featured an amateur national football league organized by the Nederlandsch Indische Voetbal Bond (NIVB), called the Dutch East Indies city championship (DEI Championship).

Beginning in 1931, the Perserikatan was founded as a separate amateur national football league system consisting of several levels of competition. It was the first Indonesian football league competition organized by PSSI. From 1932 to 1950, the DEI Championship competition ran in conjunction with the Perserikatan as a competition for the Dutch and other European players, while the Tiong Hoa Championship was held for players of Chinese descent.

Post-Independence

Perserikatan/Galatama

In 1979/80, a semi-professional league was founded, namely Galatama (The Premier League), which consisted of only one level of competition (except 1983 and 1990 in which it involved 2 divisions). Therefore, since 1979, both Galatama and Perserikatan were existed and had their own league systems.

1994–2008: Liga Indonesia

In 1994, PSSI merged both competitions into a new competition system, namely the Liga Indonesia. All clubs from both top level leagues were merged into the Liga Indonesia Premier Division, the new system's top-flight league. Furthermore, since Galatama did not have lower-level leagues, Liga Indonesia's lower leagues took all clubs from the same level in Perserikatan. PSSI formed Badan Liga Indonesia to operate the new Liga Indonesia.^[2][3][4]

2008–2011: ISL

In 2008, PSSI created a new level, the Indonesia Super League (ISL), as the system's new top-flight league. Hence, the Premier Division was then relegated to the second and so on. This new league was created to introduce full professionalism in Indonesian football. PSSI also formed PT Liga Indonesia to operate and organize the new league structure as a continuation of Badan Liga Indonesia.^[4]

In parallel with this league, U-21 teams from each participating ISL clubs compete in the ISL U-21.

2011–2014: Dualism

In 2011, PSSI replaced the ISL with the Indonesian Premier League (IPL) under a new league operator, PT Liga Prima Indonesia Sportindo (LPIS).^[4]

After the extraordinary congress on 17 March 2013, Premier League and Super League are in PSSI supervision prior to incorporation in 2014 under the name of Indonesia Super League. Before that the two leagues were still running, respectively.^[5]

2014–2015: Dualism ended and FIFA sanction

In 2014, PSSI divided into four level leagues competition include Super League, Premier Division, First Division and Amateur League/Province League called Liga Nusantara.

Started in 2015 league planned just divided into three level leagues competition include Super League, Premier Division and Liga Nusantara, after first division merged with Liga Nusantara.

However, the league season in 2015 was paused at first due to threats of sanctions from Badan Olahraga Profesional Indonesia (BOPI) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports on PSSI and PT LI because two ISL clubs, Arema and Persebaya, didn't get BOPI recommendations.^[6] This got FIFA's attention who threatened to ban Indonesian football altogether due to external meddling from BOPI and the Ministry in PSSI affairs.^[7] After the Ministry outright froze PSSI out from organizing football competitions in Indonesia, FIFA sanctioned PSSI in 30 May 2015 hence the competition was then discontinued.^[4][8] PT Liga Indonesia was then closed by PSSI in 2016.^[4]

2017–present: Post-FIFA sanction

In 20 January 2017, PSSI replaced the three previous leagues (Super League, Premier Division and Liga Nusantara) with three new leagues, namely the Liga 1, Liga 2 and Liga 3.^[4][9] PSSI formed PT. Liga Indonesia Baru as the new league operator for Liga 1 and Liga 2 while Liga 3 is under PSSI and its local branches.^[4][10]

Competition format

From the 1994–1995 to 2004–2005 season, Liga Indonesia's structure changed almost every year. For some seasons, there were two divisions within the top flight; for others, there were three. The number of clubs in the top flight wavered from 18–28, and seasons would last from 34–38 games. The top four clubs in each division qualified for a group stage "Final Eight Championship Playoff." Winners of the group faced off for the championship.

During the 2004–2005 season, 18 clubs comprised the Indonesian top flight. A season lasted 34 games, in which each club played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The three teams at the bottom of the table are relegated into Division Satu, the second level of the Indonesian league system, while the three teams of Division Satu that won promotion replace them. The top two finishers in the league qualify for the AFC Champions League.

Starting with the 2003–2004 season, the championship was decided a double round-robin league system involving the top clubs of each division. Beginning with the 2005–2006 season, 28 clubs will comprise Liga Indonesia. Clubs compete in two divisions of 14 clubs each. Each club plays against each other on a home-and-away basis.

The league's popularity has grown so much that the 2006–2007 season will see another big expansion of the league from 28 to 36 clubs with both divisions comprising 18 clubs each.

In 2008, 18 top ranked clubs in the previous Premier Division were 'promoted' to a new highest level of competition, the Indonesia Super League, and the rest stayed in the same division. The PSSI examined those 18 clubs for their readiness to join the ISL, considering many aspects, like the stadium, financial condition and other requirements for full professional football clubs.^[11]

Promotion and relegation

1. Liga 1 (level 1, 18 teams): the bottom three teams are relegated.
2. Liga 2 (level 2, 28 teams): the champions, runner-up and third-place teams are promoted to Liga 1. The bottom three teams of each region are relegated to Liga 3.
3. Liga 3 (level 3, unlimited number team): Six-best teams are promoted to Liga 2.

Cup eligibility

Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.

• Piala Indonesia: 128 teams from level 1, level 2 and level 3 enter in the first round.^[12][13]

Cup competitions

Annual cup tournaments

• Piala Liga (1985–1989) for Galatama clubs (defunct)
• Piala Galatama (1992–1993) for Galatama clubs (defunct)
• Copa Indonesia (2005–2009) (defunct)
• Piala Indonesia (2010–Now)

Annual super cup tournaments

• Galatama-Perserikatan National Invitation (1985) (defunct)
• Piala Utama (1990 & 1992) (defunct)
• Copa Super Cup (2006–2008) (defunct)
• Indonesian Community Shield (2009–2013) (defunct)

Break season tournaments

• Soeharto President's Cup (1972–1976) for Perserikatan clubs (defunct)
• Inter Island Cup (2010–2014) (defunct)
• Menpora Cup (2013 & 2021) (defunct)
• Indonesia President's Cup (2015–Now)

All tier champions by season

1994–2004

2005–2008

2008–2011