Handbollsligan (women's) facts for kids
| Sport | Handball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1951 |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country |  Sweden |
| Most recent champion(s) |
IK Sävehof (2024, 17th title) |
| International cup(s) | Champions League EHF European League EHF European Cup |
| Official website | https://handbollsligan.se/dam/ |
Handbollsligan is the top women's handball league in Sweden. It's where the best women's handball teams in the country compete. The league started way back in 1951. The first champions were a team called Kvinnliga IK Sport.
Right now, 12 teams play in Handbollsligan. At the end of each season, the top eight teams get to play in the playoffs. The quarterfinals and semifinals are exciting "best-of-five" series. This means a team needs to win three games to move on. The final match is played as a single game to decide the champion.
The team that wins the Handbollsligan championship gets a special chance. They can try to qualify for the EHF Women's Champions League. This is a huge competition for top teams across Europe.
Historically, one team has been super successful: IK Sävehof. They have won the championship 17 times! The league's name has changed a few times. It was called Elitserien for a long time. Then, for the 2016–2017 season, it became Svensk Handbollselit. Now, for the 2023–2024 season, it's called Handbollsligan, just like the men's league.
Contents
Teams in the League
Where are the Teams Located?
Here are the teams that played in the 2020–21 season. You can see where they are located on the map of Sweden.
- BK Heid
- Boden Handboll IF
- H 65 Höörs HK
- IK Sävehof
- Kristianstad HK
- Kungälvs HK
- Lugi HF
- Önnereds HK
- Skara HF
- Skövde HF
- Skuru IK
- VästeråsIrsta HF
Swedish Handball Champions
Who Has Won the Most Titles?
Many different teams have won the Swedish women's handball championship over the years. The first champions were Kvinnliga IK Sport in 1951. They won many titles, especially in the early years.
Another very successful team was Stockholmspolisens IF. They won several championships in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, IK Sävehof has been the most dominant team. They have won a record 17 championships!
Here is a list of all the teams that have won the championship:
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European League Ranking
How Sweden's League Compares in Europe
The European Handball Federation (EHF) ranks handball leagues from different countries. This ranking helps decide how many teams from each country can play in big European competitions like the Champions League.
For the 2022/23 season, the Swedish women's league (SHE Women) was ranked 11th in Europe. This shows that Swedish women's handball is strong and competitive on the European stage.
Here are some other leagues around Sweden in the ranking:
- 9.
Handball-Bundesliga Frauen - 10.
1. A DRL - 11. SHE Women
- 12.
PGNiG Superliga - 13.
Extraliga
