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37-599: According to the official document published in December 2013 when the J3 League was established, the J3 League was the 3rd level of the J.League . The J.League and non-J.League amateur leagues have different hierarchical structures, and the J3 League was ranked on the same level as the JFL. In addition, the JFL itself has the same recognition in the material showing the league composition on

74-461: A club must have held an associate membership, or have submitted an application before 30 June 2013, and then passed an inspection to obtain a participation licence issued by J.League Council. On 19 November, J.League confirmed the following clubs to participate in the inaugural J3 season: The league has not provided a clear expansion timeline yet but it was most likely that J3 continued to accommodate new teams after its inaugural season. The following

111-405: A game. Rules for promotion to J2 are largely similar to those of Japan Football League in recent seasons: to be promoted, a club must hold or be granted a J2 license and finish in top 2 of the league. From 2017 to 2023, the champions and the runners-up have been promoted directly and replace the 21st- and 22nd-placed J2 clubs. If only the champion or runner-up holds or is given a J2 license, only

148-466: A playoff series. Since 1980 every champion has been automatically promoted, exceptions being in 1993 ( Nippon Denso/FC Kariya lost a playoff) and in 2002 (Ain Foods requested not to be promoted as they lacked the resources to compete at the national level). Until 2009, the number of places in the tournament was 16, distributed as follows: As of 2010, the regional league runners-up are no longer eligible and

185-552: A rule do not play in the Japanese football league system) were recommended by the Japan University Football Association and played off against bottom JFL teams for entrance. B-teams are allowed to participate but only A-squads of truly autonomous clubs are eligible for J.League associate membership, and with it, promotion to J.League. A club that satisfied the following criteria was promoted to J.League Div. 2 (for

222-400: Is a list of clubs that may get promoted to J.League in the near future: Other teams have applied for the 100 Year plan status or a J3 license but were denied. Most of these clubs continue to aim for J3 as their ultimate goal. Four teams, one withdrew its J3 license, two their 100 Year Plan status, formerly associate membership, and another was deprived of both: Some sources claimed that J3

259-489: The Apertura and Clausura format to determine the champions. In 2019 the single-table format returned. In bold the ones who are actually playing in JFL. In italic the ones who are still active in other league. J3 League J3 League ( Japanese : J3リーグ , Hepburn : J3 Rīgu ) or simply J3 is the third division of Japan Professional Football League ( 日本プロサッカーリーグ , Nihon Puro Sakkā Rīgu ) . It

296-425: The former JFL 's second division and, from 1994 to 1998, to its single division. In 1999 and 2000 it added extra promotion places due to the formation and expansion of the new JFL. Yamaha Motors ( Júbilo Iwata ) are, thus far, the only Regional Series champions to later become First Division champions . They are also the only club to retain the title, as they failed to be promoted in their first attempt due to losing

333-553: The 10th anniversary of Japan's third-tier professional league below J1 and J2, whose respective logo colours are red and green. For this season, the league is played in two rounds (home and away), each team playing a total of 38 matches. Each team must have at least 3 players holding professional contracts. Also, since the 2016 season, 5 foreign players are allowed per team, plus 1 more from J.League's ASEAN partner country of or from other AFC countries. The matchday roster consists of 18 players, and up to 3 substitutes are allowed in

370-514: The 2012 and 2013 seasons): With the establishment of the J3 League in the 2014 season, the top 2 requirements are no longer necessary should a team that is approved by J.League Committee and is a J.League associate member. However, they start in the J3 instead. The JFL is the highest tier of amateur level football in Japan again, but they still serve the purpose of helping potential J.League clubs to participate in

407-699: The 2012 season it had 17 clubs due to the late withdrawal of Arte Takasaki . The league suffered another contraction after 2013 season, as 10 of its 18 teams joined the newly created J3 League . It also moved a tier down the pyramid, making it fourth-tier league since 2014. Five former JFL clubs have competed in the top flight : Yokohama FC (2007, 2020, 2021 & 2023), Otsuka Pharmaceuticals (2014 & 2021 as Tokushima Vortis), Matsumoto Yamaga (2015 & 2019), V-Varen Nagasaki (2018) and Machida Zelvia (2024 — present time). JFL clubs may be affiliated to companies , or be entirely autonomous clubs or reserve teams of these. Until 2010, university clubs (which as

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444-465: The 3rd to 6th actual places. * Bold designates the promoted club; † Lost the J2–J3 playoffs; ‡ Won the J2–J3 playoffs and got promoted; Clubs in bold compete in J3 as of 2024 season . From 2023, relegation from J3 to JFL was introduced, after nine seasons of not featuring it. * Bold designates relegated clubs Won the playoff against JFL team Lost the playoff series to JFL team and

481-539: The J3 and JFL were considering the introduction of relegation to the latter league as early as after the 2022 season. Later in November, Murai announced that promotion from and relegation to the JFL was planned after the 2023 season, In early January 2023, the J.League introduced the J3–JFL promotion/relegation playoffs, enabling the possibility for teams to be relegated from the J3. The system of promotion and relegation between

518-439: The J3 and JFL were considering the introduction of relegation to the latter league as early as after the 2022 season. Later in November, Murai announced that promotion from and relegation to the JFL had been planned for the end of 2023. In early January 2023, the J.League introduced the J3–JFL promotion/relegation playoffs, enabling the possibility for teams to be relegated from the J3. The system of promotion and relegation between

555-519: The J3 and the JFL can be determined by the eligibility (promotion to J3 requires a J.League license) of the JFL's champions and runners-up for the season. Primary venues used in the J3 League: From 2014 to 2016, the playoff winners faced off against the 21st place in J2. From 2017 to 2023, two clubs were promoted by default. From 2024 onwards, the third promotion place is determined by a playoff between

592-468: The J3 and the JFL can be determined by the eligibility (promotion to J3 requires a J.League license) of the JFL's champions and runners-up for the season. The team at the bottom of the league faces a direct relegation, exchanging its place with Regional League promotion competition winner, with the team ranked 15th playing the relegation/promotion play-off against the team finishing second in that competition. The number of teams relegated varies depending on

629-569: The J3. At a J.League board meeting in August 2021, 60 clubs, of which 20 are J3, were targeted for the entire league, and a possibility that J3 would have exceeded 20 clubs by the 2023 season was brought up. Mitsuru Murai, the J.League chairman, revealed that he was discussing how to adjust to 20 clubs. At this time, he was asked, "If there is a possibility of the [J3] league having 21 teams, is it okay to understand that there are teams that will fall from J3 to JFL?" While under consideration, he admitted that

666-439: The bottom club of J2 is relegated; if both top 2 finishers are ineligible for promotion, then no teams are promoted to or relegated from J2. Since the 2024 season, the 3rd to 6th placers have promotion playoffs and the winner is also the third team automatically promoted. The three J2 bottom-placed teams are automatically relegated to J3. At a J.League board meeting in August 2021, 60 clubs (of which 20 are J3) were targeted for

703-537: The champion. From 2014 to 2018 it used the Apertura and Clausura system, with two winners of each stage contesting the championship in the playoff. From 2019 it used the single table with double round-robin system to 30 matches. Primary venues used in the JFL: Clubs in bold compete in JFL as of 2024 season . Clubs in italic no longer exist. From 2014 to 2018 the Japan Football League switched to

740-413: The core of J3. Close to the end of 2012 football season Japanese media began to spread rumors about the upcoming professional third-tier league, referred to as either "J3" or "J.Challenge League". Most of the sources agreed that the new league would feature around 10–12 clubs, most of which became associate members. The league would also provide more relaxed licensing criteria in comparison to J2 – e.g.

777-439: The cradle of the future J. League members. Since the establishment of associate membership system in 2006 the number of professional clubs holding or actively seeking for this status has grown steadily and reached its peak in 2013 season when 6 full members and 2 former candidates made up to almost half of the league's 18 teams. Through the course of the season this number grew even bigger, to 10 full associate members that formed

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814-418: The entire league, and a possibility that J3 would have exceeded 20 clubs by the 2023 season was brought up. Mitsuru Murai, the J.League chairman, revealed that he was discussing how to adjust to 20 clubs. At this time, he was asked, "If there is a possibility of the [J3] league having 21 teams, is it okay to understand that there are teams that will fall from J3 to JFL?" While under consideration, he admitted that

851-465: The establishment of J2 League , a new Japan Football League was created to comprise the third tier and lower divisions. After the introduction of J3, the JFL was demoted to the fourth-tier nationwide league, for the first time in history of Japanese football. A national third tier of Japanese association football was first established along with its professionalization in 1992, when the newly created Japan Football League kicked off with two tiers below

888-403: The first round. In 2015, only the winner of the apertura (first half) qualified. In 1999 ( Bangabandhu Cup ) and since 2014, a JFL XI team has played off-season matches against guest teams. The 2016 season also featured an JFL East vs JFL West all-star encounter. The league follows a one-stage double round-robin, wherein the team finishing at the top of the table following the season is declared

925-405: The first season were as follows: Denso SC , Honda Motors , Jatco SC , Kokushikan University F.C., Mito HollyHock , Otsuka Pharmaceuticals , Sony Sendai , Yokohama FC and Yokogawa Electric . In the second season the number of clubs was increased from 9 to 12, reaching 16 in 2001. In 2002 it was briefly 18 clubs before going back to 16 the next season and settling for good at 18 in 2006. For

962-502: The former JFL, 9 decided and were accepted to play in J2 and the other 7 teams as well as Yokogawa Electric , the winners of the Regional League Promotion Series , formed the new Japan Football League. These 8 teams together with Yokohama FC that was allowed to participate as a special case after the merger of Yokohama Flügels and Yokohama Marinos competed in the inaugural 1999 season. The 9 teams that competed in

999-505: The highest-scoring runner-up are grouped in a final group in a single locale, with three matches played per club. The top two places are guaranteed promotion and the third place may play a promotion/relegation series against one of the three bottom JFL clubs (subject to JFL place availability). The usual 3-1-0 system is used; however, in case of a draw, a penalty shootout is added and the winner gets one extra point. Teams in bold were promoted. Source: JFA Clubs in bold compete in

1036-662: The main entrance route for regional clubs to the Japan Soccer League was the All Japan Senior Football Championship , a cup competition . In 1977, to test clubs in a league environment before entrance to the league, the Japan Football Association devised this tournament. In 1984 and 1985 more promotion places were added due to the JSL, expanding its divisions. In 1992 it began promoting clubs to

1073-406: The official website. Therefore, the JFL is treated as equal to J3 in theory, but in practice it is considered equivalent to a 4th division. The Japan Football League started from the 1999 season when the second division of J.League (J2) was also born. Until then, J.League consisted of only one division and the former JFL was the second highest division. Out of 16 teams who played the last season of

1110-506: The outcome of the play-off or the number of teams withdrawn from the JFL. Until 2008, only the club at the top of the standings at half-season (17 matches completed) was qualified for the Emperor's Cup , entering it at the third round along with the clubs in J2, but the allotment was widened to the top three clubs in 2010 due to the expansion of J2. Every other club must qualify through a qualifying cup in their own prefecture and then must enter at

1147-412: The professional J. League . Among the 10 original clubs of the third tier included the forerunners to Kyoto Sanga FC , Ventforet Kofu , Omiya Ardija , Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe (the latter two being located in different regions from their J. League successors). But after a number of clubs were lost for various reasons – some were promoted to J.League and the others folded – the league contracted

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1184-426: The second division in 1994 and continued with the single second-tier division. The third tier football was reintroduced in 1999 upon creation of fully professional J2. The old JFL was dissolved but a new Japan Football League was formed the same year in order to establish a nationwide top-tier amateur league. But despite its officially amateur status the league quickly became de facto semi-professional , serving as

1221-560: The stadium seating capacity of just 3,000 with no mandatory floodlighting. After the discussion on J1-J2 Joint Committee on 16 January 2013, all J.League clubs agreed in principle with an establishment of the new league starting 2014. This decision was formally put into force by J.League Council in a 26 February executive meeting. The league was planned to launch with 10 teams, but another session of J.League Council in July decided that inaugural season of J3 would feature 12 teams. To participate,

1258-414: The university association is no longer allowed to make recommendations, reducing the number of places to 12. The clubs are grouped in round-robin groups of four, playing at a single city per group (no home-and-away format is followed). Only three matches are played per club, since the match location is the same. The winners of each group qualify for the final round. As of 2010, the three group winners plus

1295-522: Was established in 2013 as the third-tier professional association football league in Japan under the organization of J.League . The league is known as the Meiji Yasuda J3 League ( Japanese : 明治安田J3リーグ ) for sponsorship reasons. The third-tier nationwide league is a relatively recent development in Japanese football with a first attempt made in 1992 (second division of the old JFL ), though it only lasted for two seasons. In 1999, following

1332-407: Was intended to reach up to 60 clubs in the future, being split into three regionalized divisions running in parallel. At the end of January 2023, the J.League removed its 100 Year Plan status from application requirements for J3 licenses as part of revisions to the division's club licensing regulations. On 20 December 2022, the J3 League logo colour was changed to blue for the 2023 season prior to

1369-484: Was relegated Japanese Regional Football Champions League The Japanese Regional Champions League ( Japanese : 全国地域サッカーチャンピオンズリーグ , Zenkoku Chiiki Sakkā Championzu Rīgu ), known before 2016 as Japan Regional Football League Competition , is a nationwide play-off tournament meant as a transition for Japanese football clubs competing in regional leagues to the Japan Football League . Until 1976,

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