Esiliiga


The Esiliiga is the second division in the Estonian football league system. The Esiliiga is ranked below the Meistriliiga and above the Esiliiga B.
As in most countries with low temperatures in winter time, the season starts in March and ends in November. The league features several reserve teams of Meistriliiga clubs. According to the rules set by the Estonian Football Association, reserve teams are ineligible for promotion to the Meistriliiga, but can play in the Estonian Cup.

Competition format

During the season, the teams play each of the other four times, twice at home and twice away. This makes for a total of 36 games played each season. The teams gain three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a defeat. Promotion and relegation between divisions is a central feature of the league. At the end of the season, clubs at the top of their division win promotion to the next higher division, while those at the bottom will be relegated to the next lower one. At the end of a season, the top Esiliiga club gains promotion to the Meistriliiga. This is providing that the Esiliiga club meets the licensing criteria of the Meistriliiga. Reserve teams in Estonia play in the same league system as the senior team, however, they must play at least one level below their main side, and are thus ineligible for promotion to the Meistriliiga. Two bottom end clubs of Esiliiga are relegated to the Esiliiga B, and two top clubs of Esiliiga B are promoted to the Esiliiga. The two-legged play-offs for the Meistriliiga spot are contested between the ninth placed club in the Meistriliiga and the second in the Esiliiga, and the two-legged play-offs for the Esiliiga spot are contested between the eighth placed club in the Esiliiga and the third in the Esiliiga B.

Clubs

Current clubs

The following clubs are competing in the Esiliiga during the 2020 season.
ClubPosition
in 2019		Seasons in
Esiliiga		First season of
current spell		TitlesLast title
Elvab5th820170
Pärnu JK3rd in the Esiliiga B4202011993–94
Flora U21 Tallinnb,c2nd14200622015
Tartu JK Tammeka U21b,c4th420190
Levadia U21 Tallinna,b,c6th16200472013
Maardu Linnameeskonda10th in the Meistriliiga3202022018
Järve Kohtla-Järveb7th220190
Vändra Vaprusb2nd in the Esiliiga B420200
Nõmme Uniteda,b1st in the Esiliiga B020200
Pärnu Vaprus3rd5201912005

a – never been relegated from Esiliiga

b – never played in Meistriliiga

c – ineligible for promotion to Meistriliiga

Champions

Total titles won

All-time Esiliiga table

The table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Esiliiga since its inception in 1992. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2018 season. Teams in bold play in the Esiliiga 2019 season. Numbers in bold are the record numbers in each column.
In this ranking 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. Promotion matches and relegation matches involving clubs of higher or lower leagues are not counted.
The table is sorted by all-time points.

Club
Seasons
Titles









1FCI Levadia U211775883481051391548701+84711491.95
2FC Flora U21102468254821321008576+4328441.80
3FC Kuressaare912781364199568482+864491.62
4Rakvere JK Tarvas9032412460140521633-1124321.33
5JK Tallinna Kalev712521264680536399+1374241.68
6Kiviõli FC Irbis8028811051124556542+143811.32
7Kohtla-Järve FC Lootus71214972790411400+113181.49
8Lasnamäe FC Ajax60200933770449311+1383161.58
9Viljandi JK Tulevik71166903056320250+703001.81
10Pärnu KEK81188862377416370+462811.49
11FC Valga81164791461304276+282511.53
12Maardu Linnameeskond32108691227301160+1412192.03
13Tallinna FC TVMK II50172632386302363-612121.23
14Valga FC Warrior602006129110285438-1532121.06
15FC Elva702365834144274537-2632080.88
16Tartu FC Santos50216592794290388-982040.94
17Tallinna JK Dünamo72144581967276319-431931.34
18JK Sillamäe Kalev70162562474232303-711921.19
19Tartu JK Tammeka U2140144503559236242-41851.28
20Pärnu JK Vaprus41136522658255265-101821.34
21FCI Tallinn U2130108511245266214+521651.53
22Tartu JK Merkuur60122491855199238-391651.35
23Nõmme Kalju FC U2140144482175218293-751651.15
24Vändra JK Vaprus40144422874212303-911541.07
25FCI Tallinn217245161119580+1151512.10
26FC Puuma40144372879208372-1641390.97
27Pärnu Linnameeskond30108372349207213-61341.24
28Tallinna Jalgpalliklubi40120342264164300-1361241.03
29FC M.C. Tallinn3084341733167189-221191.42
30Tallinna JK Vall41583671517180+911151.98
31Maardu FK Olümpia5178331629158152+61151.47
32Tallinna JK Legion30108311760164261-971101.02
33Tartu SK 102072321228123125-21081.50
34Viljandi JK Tulevik U2130108282456139215-761081.00
35Nõmme Kalju FC2072311427145149-41071.49
36Tartu JK Tammeka3184291837165199-341051.25
37Tallinna Jalgpallikool5072311031117141-241031.43
38Maardu S.C. Real2056271316144102+42941.68
39Jõhvi FC Lokomotiiv2072261333115121-6911.26
40Tartu KSK Vigri204226979840+58872.07
41Narva Kreenholm4158251023120125-5851.47
42Pärnu JK416225920125110+15841.35
43Kiviõli JK Irbis40582382799117-18771.33
44Kohtla-Järve JK Pena3046227179585+10731.59
45Tartu JK Welco207216134374178-104610.85
46Paide Linnameeskond10361412105844+14541.50
47Pärnu FC Levadia112815766739+28521.86
48Tallinna FC Norma2128152117744+33471.68
49Viimsi JK1028124124350-7401.43
50FC Viljandi1028124123146-15401.43
51JK Tallinna Kalev U211036109173752-15391.08
52JK Tallinna Sadam101612225214+38382.38
53Paide KEK2028106125664-8361.29
54Keila JK1036105214188-47350.97
55Lelle SK10361112449100-51340.94
56Kohtla-Järve JK Järve103686224297-55300.83
57FC Kuressaare II102883173579-44270.96
58Kehra JK Paber102073103347-14241.20
59Kallaste JK Peipsi Kalur202873183675-39240.86
60Tallinna JK Metallist10127053025+5211.75
61Tallinna JK Dokker10146353026+4211.50
62Tallinna JK Tempo10126152926+3191.58
63Tallinna FC Arsenal10145092631-5151.07
64Tartu JK Merkuur-Juunior103635282797-70140.39
65Põltsamaa JK Sport1010109627-2130.30
66Tartu FC DAG10140131267-5510.07