In the 1920s several Arab clubs (Dajani Sports Club of Jerusalem, several Orthodox clubs) were established; by the start of the 1930s, there were about 20.
In 1921 a first league was formed, the Government Department League, which only operated in Jerusalem; it only lasted until 1925 due to reduction of the British personnel in the various departments. The Al-Zahra league, which initially included a few Jewish clubs was joined by Rawdat al Ma'aref and Arab Sports Club in 1923. A number of cup competitions were also played; in Jerusalem these included one operated by The Sports Club between 1924 and 1927 (when Royal Air Force won the trophy outright), the Jerusalem Flower Cup (first held in 1923 with as participants Rawdat al Ma'arif, YMCA, Arab SC, Shell, Ofir and Hanoar Haoved) and the Municipal Cup competition.
The Arab Palestine Sports Federation (APSF) was created in June 1931 by ten clubs (four each from Haifa and Jerusalem and two from Jaffa). It first started an official competition in November 1933 for a shield known as the "Armour of King Ghazi" with seven clubs (Al-Arabi and Al-Rawda from Jerusalem, Islamic SC (later temporarily called Al-Qawmi) and the Orthodox Club from Jaffa, and White Star, Islamic SC and Christian Salesian School Old Boys (renamed Shabab Al-Arab in 1934) from Haifa). The 1938 league season was contested by four clubs only: Al-Arabi (Jerusalem), Al-Qawmi (Jaffa), Islamic SC and Scouts (both from Haifa).
The APSF was shut down by the British authorities in 1938, and several Arab clubs joined the PFA leagues in 1942 and 1943. In 1944, the APSF was reestablished (as PSF); its inaugural 1944/45 league season included 25 clubs, but membership rose to 65 clubs by 1947.
Championship APSF 1938 Al-Arabi (Jerusalem) bt Al-Qawmi (Jaffa) 1944/45 Islamic SC (Jaffa) 2-0 Orthodox Club (Jerusalem) 1945/46 Shabab Al-Arab (Haifa) bt Islamic SC (Jaffa) 1946/47 Shabab Al-Arab (Haifa) 5-1 Islamic SC (Jaffa) Ghazi Shield 1937 Islamic SC (Haifa) 1938 Al-Rawda (Jerusalem) 3-1 Al-Qawmi (Jaffa) Palestine Championship 1996 Khadamat Rafah 1997 Shabab Al-Am'ari 1998 Khadamat Rafah 1999 not known [*] 2000 not known 2001 cancelled 2002 Al-Aqsa NB: no overall championship was held since 2002 [*] possibly either Shabab Khan Younes or Wadi Al-Neiss (finalists Super Cup 2000) FA Cup 1997 Khadamat Rafah 3-2 Al-Bireh Super Cup 2000 Shabab Khan Younes 4-1 Wadi Al-Neiss Palestine Cup NB: between the cup winners of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank 2014/15 Al-Ittihad Shejaia 0-0 1-2 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 2015/16 Shabab Khan Younes 0-1 1-1 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 2016/17 Shabab Rafah 2-0 0-0 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 2017/18 Shabab Khan Younes 3-2 1-5 Hilal Al-Quds 2018/19 Khadamat Rafah 1-1 n/p Markaz Balata 2019/20 not held Number of Wins (4, lost finals between square brackets) 2 [ 1] Al-Ahli Al-Khalil (WB) 1 Hilal Al-Quds (WB) 1 Shabab Rafah (GS) [ 2] Shabab Khan Younes (GS) [ 1] Al-Ittihad Shejaia (GS)
Gaza Strip League 1984/85 Al-Ahli Gaza 1985/86 Khadamat Al-Shatea 1986/87 Khadamat Al-Shatea 1987-95 not known 1995/96 Khadamat Rafah 1996/97 not known 1997/98 Khadamat Rafah 1998-05 not known 2005-07 Khadamat Rafah 2007-10 not held 2010/11 Shabab Khan Younes 2011/12 not known 2012/13 Shabab Rafah 2013/14 Shabab Rafah 2014/15 Al-Ittihad Shejaia 2015/16 Khadamat Rafah 2016/17 Sadaqa 2017/18 Shabab Khan Younes 2018/19 Khadamat Rafah 2019/20 Khadamat Rafah 2020/21 Shabab Rafah 2021/22 Shabab Rafah 2022/23 Khadamat Rafah 2023/24 Gaza Strip Cup 1993 Gaza SC 1994 Shabab Rafah 1995 Shabab Rafah 1996 not held 1997 Khadamat Rafah 1998 not held 1999 Al-Ittihad Shejaia 0-0 Shabab Rafah [3-2 pen] 2000 Shabab Khan Younes 2-0 Shabab Rafah 2001-02 not held 2003 Shabab Rafah 4-2 Khadamat Rafah 2004 not held 2005/06 Shabab Rafah 2-0 4-0 Shabab Jabalia 2007-09 not held 2010 Gaza SC 3-0 Sadaqa 2011 not held 2012 Shabab Rafah 2-0 Mashtal 2013/14 Khadamat Rafah 2-2 Al-Ittihad Shejaia [5-4 pen] 2014/15 Al-Ittihad Shejaia 3-0 Khadamat Rafah 2015/16 Shabab Khan Younes 4-3 Shabab Jabalia 2016/17 Shabab Rafah 2-0 Khadamat Rafah 2017/18 Shabab Khan Younes 2-0 Shabab Rafah 2018/19 Khadamat Rafah 0-0 Al-Ittihad Shejaia [4-3 pen] 2019/20 Shabab Rafah awd Gaza SC [awarded 3-0, Gaza SC walked off at 3-0] Super Cup (Gaza Strip) 2000 Al-Ittihad Shejaia 2-1 Khadamat Rafah 2013 Shabab Rafah 1-0 Sadaqa 2014 Shabab Rafah 1-0 Khadamat Rafah 2015 Al-Ittihad Shejaia awd Shabab Khan Younes [awarded 3-0, Shabab Khan Younes dns] 2016 Khadamat Rafah 3-1 Shabab Khan Younes 2017 Shabab Rafah 1-1 Sadaqa [6-5 pen] 2018 Shabab Rafah 0-0 Shabab Khan Younes [5-3 pen] 2019 Al-Ittihad Shejaia 1-1 Khadamat Rafah [4-3 pen] 2020 Shabab Rafah 0-0 Khadamat Rafah [4-3 pen] Gaza Strip League - Second Level 2010/11 Al-Sadaqa 2012-14 not known 2014/15 Shabab Jabalia 2015/16 Al-Ahli Gaza 2016/17 Shabab Jabalia 2017/18 Al-Ahli Beit Hanoun 2018/19 Beit Hanoun 2019/20 Al-Tofah 2020/21 Al-Ahli Gaza 2021/22 Shabab Al-Zawaydah
West Bank League
1976/77 Silwan
1979 Shabab Al-Khalil
1980 Markaz Tulkarm
1981/82 Shabab Al-Khalil
1984 Markaz Tulkarm
1985/86 Shabab Al-Khalil
1986/87 abandoned
1997 Shabab Al-Am'ari
2006 not known (possibly abandoned)
2007 Wadi Al-Neiss
2008/09 Wadi Al-Neiss
2009/10 Jabal Mukabar
2010/11 Shabab Al-Am'ari
2011/12 Hilal Al-Quds
2012/13 Al-Thahriyeh
2013/14 Wadi Al-Neiss
2014/15 Al-Thahriyeh
2015/16 Shabab Al-Khalil
2016/17 Hilal Al-Quds
2017/18 Hilal Al-Quds
2018/19 Hilal Al-Quds
2019/20 Markaz Balata
2020/21 Shabab Al-Khalil
2021/22 Shabab Al-Khalil
2022/23 Jabal Mukabar
2023/24
PFA Cup (West Bank)
2007 Al-Bireh 1-1 Wadi Al-Neiss [3-1 pen]
2008 Thagafi Tulkarm 1-0 Hilal Ariha
2009 final between Jabal Mukabar and Shabab Al-Khalil abandoned
Palestine Cup (West Bank)
NB: the editions between 1978 and 1987 reportedly were the first five ever held.
1978 Shabab Al-Khalil bt Hilal Al-Quds
1980 Shabab Al-Khalil 1-0 YMCA
1983 Shabab Al-Zahiriyya 2-0 Markaz Balata
1985 Shabab Al-Khalil 2-0 Markaz Tulkarm
1987 Thagafi Tulkarm 2-1 Silwan
2007 Wadi Al-Neiss 1-1 Shabab Al-Khalil [2-0 pen]
2009 Wadi Al-Neiss 1-1 Shabab Al-Khalil [4-3 pen]
2011 Hilal Al-Quds 2-0 Al-Thahriyeh
2012 Al-Thahriyeh bt Hilal Al-Quds
2013 Shabab Al-Khalil 3-0 Islami Qalqilya
2014 Hilal Al-Quds 1-1 Al-Thahriyeh [4-2 pen]
2015 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 0-0 Markaz Balata [4-3 pen]
2016 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 3-0 Hilal Al-Quds
2017 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 0-0 Shabab Al-Khalil [3-1 pen]
2018 Hilal Al-Quds 3-1 Thagafi Tulkarm
2019 Markaz Balata 2-1 Shabab Al-Am'ari
2020 abandoned
Yassir Arafat Cup (West Bank)
2010 Wadi Al-Neiss 1-0 Shabab Al-Am'ari
2011/12 Al-Thahriyeh 0-0 Shabab Al-Am'ari [5-4 pen]
2012 Shabab Al-Am'ari 3-1 Markaz Balata
2013 Shabab Al-Khalil 2-1 Wadi Al-Neiss
2014 Hilal Al-Quds 3-1 Yatta
2015 Al-Thahriyeh 0-0 Shabab Al-Khalil [4-3 pen]
2016 Shabab Al-Khalil 0-0 Al-Thahriyeh [6-5 pen]
2017 Markaz Balata 1-1 Shabab Al-Smoa [3-2 pen]
2018/19 Hilal Al-Quds 0-0 Markaz Balata [8-7 pen]
2019/20 not held
2020/21 not held
2021/22 Jabal Mukabar 3-1 Thagafi Tulkarm
2022/23 Jabal Mukabar 1-0 Markaz Balata
2023 Jabal Mukabar 1-1 Shabab Al-Khalil [6-5 pen]
Super Cup (West Bank)
2010 Wadi Al-Neiss 1-1 Jabal Mukabar [4-3 pen]
2011 Hilal Al-Quds 4-0 Shabab Al-Am'ari
2012 Al-Thahriyeh 2-1 Hilal Al-Quds
2013 Shabab Al-Khalil 1-1 Al-Thahriyeh [4-2 pen]
2014 Hilal Al-Quds 3-0 Wadi Al-Neiss
2015 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 3-2 Al-Thahriyeh
2016 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil 2-0 Shabab Al-Khalil
2017 Hilal Al-Quds 2-1 Al-Ahli Al-Khalil
2018 Hilal Al-Quds 2-1 Thagafi Tulkarm
West Bank League - Second Level
1985/86 Shabab Al-Thahriyeh
1987-97 not known
1998/99 Wadi Al-Neiss
2000-07 not known
2008/09 Shabab Al-Ubeidieh
2009/10 Markaz Balata
2010/11 not known
2011/12 Ahli Al-Khalil
2012/13 Thaqafi Tulkarem
2013/14 Shabab Yatta
2014/15 Silwan
2015/16 Markaz Tulkarem
2016/17 Al-Bireh
2017/18 Shabab Al-Am'ari
2018/19 Al-Quwaat Al-Falistinia
2019/20 Shabab Al-Thahriyeh
2020/21 Markaz Tulkarm
2021/22 Wadi Al-Neiss
Winter Jericho Championship
NB: occasionally also involved clubs from Jordan (e.g. in 1999, 2000 and 2008)
Ed Year Winners
1993/94 Hilal Ariha
1994/95 Hilal Ariha
1997/98 Hilal Ariha
1998/99 Al-Wahdat (Amman)
1999/00 Al-Wahdat (Amman)
2000/01 Shabab Al-Khalil
8 2003/04 Wadi Al-Neiss
9 2004/05 Silwan
10 2005/06 Al-Bireh
11 2006 Hilal Ariha 2-0 Wadi Al-Neiss
12 2007 Wadi Al-Neiss 1-0 Hilal Al-Quds
13 2008 Hilal Ariha 4-2 Al-Thahriyeh
2014 Silwan 2-1 Hilal Ariha
NB: reportedly, a team called Palestine Nurses & Midwives Association (PNMA) won the
tournament in 2018
Sources included: [Kha 13], [Bli 19], http://jerusalemquarterly.org/images/ArticlesPdf/27_khalidi.pdf, http://www.hpalestinesports.net/2017/07/departmental-municipal-and.html
Prepared and maintained by Hans Schöggl and Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Authors: Hans Schöggl and Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 2 Apr 2024
(C) Copyright Hans Schöggl, Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 2003/24
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