Countries Hungary Level on pyramid Level 1 Most championships Vasas (15 titles) Date founded 1951 Levels on pyramid 1 | Relegation to Nemzeti Bajnokság I/B Current champions Győri ETO (12th title) Number of teams 12 Domestic cup Magyar Kupa | |
International cup(s) EHF Champions League
EHF Cup Winners' Cup
EHF Cup Current champion Győri Audi ETO KC (12th title) Confederation European Handball Federation Teams Győri Audi ETO KC, Ferencvárosi TC‑ Women's, Alba Fehérvár KC, Siófok KC, Váci NKSE | ||
The Nemzeti Bajnokság I (English: National Championship I, commonly abbreviated NB I) is the top professional league for Hungarian women's team handball clubs. It is administered by the Hungarian Handball Federation.
Contents
History
The first edition of the women's handball league was held in 1951. That year only four teams participated, playing once against each other. Csepeli Vasas SK were crowned champions as they got equal points to Budapest Vörös Meteor Közért, but were superior on goal difference. Next season Vörös Meteor took revenge and secured the title just ahead of Csepel.
The forthcoming years were characterized by long term team hegemonies: Budapesti Spartacus SC won seven titles between 1960 and 1967, whilst Vasas SC were awarded thirteen gold medals between 1972 and 1985.
Turning into the nineties, Ferencvárosi TC managed to appear in the dominant role. In the 1992–93 season, after topping the table in the regular season, they bled to death in the playoffs yet, but a year later there was nothing to stop them. Until 2002 another five league title landed in the hands of Ágnes Farkas and co. The lone team which managed to interrupt their run was the Radulovics-led Dunaferr in 1998. The Dunaújváros-based team won five titles altogether until 2004, when, after finished on the podium an incredibly nine times in row without having won the title, finally Győri Graboplast ETO KC lifted the championship trophy.
Since then ETO with the support of their new main sponsor, car manufacturer Audi, have won all but one titles.
Competition format
At the beginning only four teams entered the National Championship. Later, the league have been expanded, first to 12, later to 14 teams. There was a short living try with 16 teams in two groups but the idea got dropped just after five seasons. Since 2006 the league is made up of 12 teams. The championship was held in one calendar year until 1987, when they switched to autumn-spring format. Interestingly, in the 2003–04 season Austrian top club Hypo Niederösterreich played in the league as a guest team, however, their results did not count towards the final ranking.
As we can see from the chart the number of teams in the Hungarian First Division changed a lot and continuously. The league started in 1951 with four teams and with the formation of teams the league expanded continuously. Currently, there are 12 teams in the first division.
Current format
The current system is composed by twelve teams. The sides play twice against each other in the regular season on a home and on an away leg. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs, where a best-of-three system is used. Teams ranked fifth to ninth and tenth to twelfth decide their final places in a classification round, using a round robin system, playing six additional rounds. According to their final position in the regular season, they awarded bonus points which are added to the points they earn in the postseason. Bottom two teams get relegated.
Current clubs
The following 14 clubs compete in the K&H Liga during the 2016–17 season.
Performance by club
The teams in Bold play in the 2015-16 season of OB I.
The teams in Italics no longer exist.
The teams in neither bold or italics are existing past winners of the championship that relegated to Hungarian lower leagues.
Performance by counties
The following table lists the Hungarian women's handball champions by counties of Hungary.
Clubs
Since 1951, clubs have participated in the Hungarian League. Below the list of Hungarian League clubs who have participated in the first division. The club with the most appearances are the 28-time champions Ferencváros, however the club spent three years in the Nemzeti Bajnokság II (Hungarian Second Division) between 2006 and 2009. The only clubs who have never been relegated are Újpest.