Indonesian football league system

Structure

Super League is the first-tier of football league in Indonesia, formerly known as Liga 1 from 2017 until 2025. The second-tier is Championship, formerly Premier Division until 2014 and Liga 2 until 2025. The third-tier is Liga Nusantara, formerly Liga 3. Super League and Championship are professional leagues, while Liga Nusantara operates at a semi-professional level. All three leagues are operated by I-League, which also organizes the youth competition, Elite Pro Academy.

Liga 4 is the only amateur football league in Indonesia, consisting of an unlimited number of amateur clubs. Each of Indonesia's 38 provinces organizes its own provincial league, with the number of teams varying across regions. The top 64 teams from the provincial phase qualify for the national phase.

Men's

Youth

History

Pre-Independence

Since 1914, Indonesia (then still called the Dutch East Indies) had an amateur national football league called Stedenwedstrijden (Dutch East Indies city championship). This competition ran in an organized and continuous manner until 1950, organized by the Nederlandsch-Indische Voetbalbond (NIVB) from 1919–1935, then continued by the Nederlandsch-Indische Voetbal Unie (NIVU) from 1936–1948, and finally by the Ikatan Sepak Raga Negara Indonesia Serikat (ISNIS) in 1949–1950. Initially exclusive to the Dutch and other European players, by the late 1920s the competition became more inclusive, allowing participation from Bumiputera (indigenous) and Chinese players, though still limited to the elite. All members of the Dutch East Indies national football team who played in the 1938 FIFA World Cup came from this league.

At the same time, in 1930 PSSI was established as a form of resistance against NIVB’s dominance and organized a parallel competition from 1931 to 1943 specifically for Bumiputera players. This competition later became the precursor of Perserikatan after independence.

Meanwhile, the Chinese community also held their own competition from 1917–1950, organized by the Comité Kampioenswedstrijden Tiong Hoa (CKTH) since 1927, and then by the Hwa Nan Voetbalbond (HNVB) from 1930–1950.

Post-Independence

Perserikatan/Galatama

The first national competition organized by PSSI after independence was Perserikatan in In 1951, an amateur league that brought together teams based on regions or cities in Indonesia. Historically, Perserikatan was the successor competition that replaced the Stedenwedstrijden, which had previously been organized by ISNIS (Ikatan Sepak Raga Negara Indonesia Serikat). Perserikatan served as the main platform of Indonesian football until the late 1970s.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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. This got FIFA's attention who threatened to ban Indonesian football altogether due to external meddling from BOPI and the Ministry in PSSI affairs. 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. PT Liga Indonesia was then closed by PSSI in 2016.

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. 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.

In 2024, PSSI plans to create a new level, namely the Liga 4 as the fourth division level that will be operated by PSSI and its local branches. In addition, PSSI announced that Liga 3 will be renamed to Liga Nusantara and will be operated by PT. Liga Indonesia Baru, which also operates Liga 1 and Liga 2.

In 2025, PT. Liga Indonesia Baru rebranded Liga 1 and Liga 2 as the Super League and the Championship, respectively. Additionally, PT. LIB rebranded itself as the I-League.

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.

Promotion and relegation

1. Super League (level 1, 18 teams): the bottom three teams are relegated to Championship
2. Championship (level 2, 20 teams): the champions, runner-up and third-place teams are promoted to Super League. The three worst teams will be relegated to Liga Nusantara.
3. Liga Nusantara (level 3, 24 teams): the champions, runner-up and third-place teams are promoted to Championship. The six worst teams will be relegated to Liga 4.
4. Liga 4 (level 4, unlimited number of teams): Six-best teams are promoted to Liga Nusantara.

Cup competitions

Annual cup tournaments

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

Annual super cup tournaments

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

Break season tournaments

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

All tier champions by season

1930–1950

1951–1978

1978–1994

1994–2004

2005–2008

2008–2011

2011–2013

2014–2016

2017–2024

2024–2025

2025–present

Notes

Footnotes

References

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6. (17 March 2013). "Hasil Kongres Luar Biasa PSSI Hari Ini".
7. Raya, Mercy. (2015-04-02). "Menpora Bisa Jatuhkan Sanksi Jika PSSI dan PT Liga Membandel". [[Detik.com.
8. Nuralam, Cakrayuri. (2015-04-11). "Gara-gara Menpora dan BOPI, PSSI Terancam Sanksi FIFA".
9. Al Fauzi, Furqon. (2020-05-29). "Sabtu Kelabu 5 Tahun Lalu, Indonesia Disanksi FIFA".
10. (20 January 2017). "PSSI Ubah ISL Jadi Liga 1". Bola.net.
11. Pradigdo, Benediktus Gerendo. (2017-03-18). "PSSI Tunjuk PT Liga Indonesia Baru Jadi Operator Kompetisi 2017".
12. Purnomo, Didi Agung Eko. (2024-11-10). "Liga Nusantara dan Liga 4 Resmi Dibentuk PSSI sebagai Kompetisi Baru, Ini Dia Regulasi dan Pesertanya". Solo Balapan.
13. Robbani, Muhammad. (7 July 2025). "Rebranding, Liga 1 Ganti Nama Jadi Super League". Detik.com.
14. Prasatya, Randy. (12 July 2025). "LIB Rebranding Jadi ILeague". Detik.com.
15. (February 2023). "New Super League key to success in Indonesia}}{{dead link".