First League of the Republika Srpska

The First League of the Republika Srpska (Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: Prva liga Republike Srpske / Прва лига Републике Српске) is a second level football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

First League of the Republika Srpska
Founded1995
First season1995–96
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toPremier League
Relegation toSecond League of RS
Domestic cup(s)Bosnian Cup, Republika Srpska Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Europa League
(The winner of the Bosnian Cup earns an automatic spot in the UEFA Europa League)
Current championsKrupa (2nd title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsBorac Banja Luka (5 titles)
TV partnersRTRS
WebsiteFirst League RS (in Serbian)
Current: 2020–21 First League

The league champion is promoted to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Relegated teams, depending on how much get relegated, fall to the Second League of the Republika Srpska.

History

Separate and second tier league

Since there were three different football championships in the country, organized on ethnic principles, the "First League of the Republika Srpska" was the top flight in the Republika Srpska before 2002. However, the champions of this League were not recognized by UEFA. In 2002, the top clubs from the Republika Srpska joined the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the First League was kept as one of two second level divisions. It is still run by the Football Association of Republika Srpska, and has ended its boycott of Bosnian football on a federal level.

New format and expansion

The league changed format in the 2014–15 season and was split into two stages, the regular season and the playoffs. Each of the 12 competitors in the First League hosts every other team once in the regular season, for a total of 22 matches. A playoff phase is then played from April to May. The point system in the championship playoff is the same as during the regular season, except that each team starts with half of the points they won in the regular season, rounded up to the nearest integer. The points gained by rounding are deducted in the case of a tie. Similar systems are also used in the Belgian First Division A and the Polish Ekstraklasa.

The top six teams from the regular season enter the championship playoff, with the first-placed team winning the First League and teams ranked from 7 to 12 after the regular season enter the relegation playoffs. Each team plays their opponents once. The League champion is promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season, and the bottom clubs are relegated to the Second League of the Republika Srpska (third level). The number of relegated teams depends on how many clubs are entering the league. Those are the winners of the two third level league groups, the winner of the relegation play-off, and Republika Srpska clubs relegated from the Premier League. So, sometimes two clubs get relegated, and sometimes three or even four.

On 12 June 2020, it was confirmed that the league will be expanded from 10 to 16 teams in the 2020–21 season.[1]

Member clubs for 2020–21
TeamLast season
Zvijezda 09Relegated
Rudar Prijedor2.
Kozara Gradiška3.
Željezničar Banja Luka4.
Modriča5.
Slavija Sarajevo6.
Tekstilac Derventa7.
Podrinje Janja8.
Jedinstvo Brčko9.
Borac Kozarska DubicaPromoted
LeotarPromoted
Drina ZvornikInvited[2]
Ljubić PrnjavorInvited[3]
Sloboda Novi GradInvited[4]
Sloga DobojInvited[5]
Sutjeska FočaInvited[6]

League champions

Previous champions and winners of the league are:[7]

Season Champion Runners Up Top Goalscorer Club Goals
1995–96 Boksit Milići Rudar PrijedorSiniša Đurić
Zoran Majstorović		Kozara Gradiška
Boksit Milići		16 Goals
16 Goals
1996–97 Rudar Ugljevik Sloga TrnMladen Zgonjanin
Marić		Sloga Trn
Glasinac Sokolac		14 Goals
14 Goals
1997–98 Rudar Ugljevik Borac Banja LukaNikola BalaRudar Ugljevik31 Goals
1998–99 Radnik Bijeljina Rudar UgljevikMladen ZgonjaninSloga Trn23 Goals
1999–2000 Boksit Milići Rudar UgljevikNedo ZdjelarSloboda Novi Grad29 Goals
2000–01 Borac Banja Luka Sloboda Novi GradMilanko ĐerićBoksit Milići26 Goals
2001–02 Leotar Kozara GradiškaPavle Delibašić
Siniša Jovanović		Leotar
Glasinac Sokolac		21 Goals
21 Goals

Since the 2002–03 season, it became a second national level competition. League champion gets direct promotion to the Premier League.

Performance by club
Club Winners Winning years
Borac Banja Luka
5
 2001, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2019
Radnik Bijeljina
3
 1999, 2005, 2012
Rudar Ugljevik
2
 1997, 1998
Boksit Milići
2
 1996, 2000
Drina Zvornik
2
 2010, 2014
Rudar Prijedor
2
 2009, 2015
Krupa
2
 2016, 2020
Leotar
1
 2002
Alfa Modriča
1
 2003
Slavija Sarajevo
1
 2004
Laktaši
1
 2007
Kozara Gradiška
1
 2011
Mladost Velika Obarska
1
 2013
Zvijezda 09
1
 2018

References
  1. Goran Karać (12 June 2020). "Potvrđeno proširenje Prve lige RS u fudbalu" (in Bosnian). nezavisne.com. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  2. Vladimir Grbić (3 July 2020). "Poznati svi učesnici Prve lige RS u fudbalu" (in Bosnian). nezavisne.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  3. A. Čaušević (24 June 2020). "Novi prvoligaš iskoristio polovne stolice za rekonstrukciju tribine" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. A. Pašić (22 May 2020). "Sloboda iz Novog Grada novi/stari prvoligaš" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  5. A. Čaušević (13 June 2020). "Bh. niželigaš proširenjem lige izborio promociju, sada predstoji teži tio posla" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  6. Slaviša Vukašinović (5 July 2020). "FOČACI PREZADOVOLJNI ODLUKOM IZVRŠNOG ODBORA FSRS". sportdc.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  7. "Prvaci prve lige Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine". bihsoccer.com. 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
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