J. League Division 2

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Countries	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Founded	1999
Number of teams	22
Levels on pyramid	2
Promotion to	J. League Division 1
Relegation to	Japan Football League
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup
Current champions	F.C. Tokyo (2011)
Most championships	Consadole Sapporo Kawasaki Frontale Kyoto Sanga F.C. (2 titles each)
TV partners	SKY PerfecTV!
Website	Official Website
2012 J. League Division 2

The J. League Division 2 (Jリーグ・ディビジョン2, J Rīgu Dibijon 2^?) or J2 League (J2リーグ, J2 Rīgu^?) is the second division of Japan Professional Football League (日本プロサッカーリーグ, Nippon Puro Sakkā Rīgu^?) and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J. League Division 1.

Second-tier club football has existed in Japan since 1972; however, it was only professionalized during the 1999 season with ten clubs. The league took one relegating club from the top division and nine clubs from the second-tier semi-professional former Japan Football League to create the J2 League. The remaining seven clubs in the Japan Football League, the newly formed Yokohama F.C., and one promoting club from the Regional Leagues, formed the nine-club Japan Football League, the third-tier of Japanese football.

History[link]

For history of Japanese club football before the inception of the professional league in 1993, see Japan Soccer League.

For detailed history of J. League Division 1, see J. League Division 1#History.

Phases of the Japanese second-tier association football[link]

Amateur era (—1999)[link]

A national second tier of Japanese association football was first established in 1972, when the Japan Soccer League formed a Second Division. Among the founding 10 clubs, 5 later competed in the J. League: Toyota Motors (inaugural champion), Yomiuri, Fujitsu, Kyoto Shiko Club and Kofu Club. The division, initially conformed of 10 clubs like the First Division, required at first both the champions and runner-up teams to play-off a Promotion/Relegation series of test matches against the top flight's bottom clubs. The requirement was abolished for the champions in 1980 and for the runners-up in 1984.

Before 1977 the way for clubs to gain access to the Second Division was by making the finals of the All Japan Senior Football Championship and then playing off in their own Promotion/Relegation series against the second tier's bottom clubs; after 1977 the new All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series served as provider of aspiring League clubs. In 1985 the Second Division was augmented in size to 12 clubs and in 1986 the number reached 16; until 1989, the table was divided into East and West groups depending on geographical location, but after that year and until 1992 the table was unified.

In 1992, following the formation of the J. League, the JSL Second Division was renamed the (former) Japan Football League, dividing the tier into two hierarchical, non-equal tiers of 10 clubs each. In 1994 the JFL was reunified again into a single division. As the J. League expanded in numbers, the need for another second tier with promotion and relegation arose as the number of clubs which wanted to become professional increased (particularly in the case of Shonan Bellmare, Kashiwa Reysol, Cerezo Osaka and Júbilo Iwata, who had been JSL First Division champions but had not been chosen for the inaugural J. League season).

Professionalization era (1999–2004)[link]

The infrastructure of the league was heavily changed in 1999. The league acquired nine clubs from the semi-professional JFL and one club from J. League to create a two division system, both being the professional leagues. The top flight became the J. League Division 1 (J1) with 16 clubs while J. League Division 2 (J2) was launched with ten clubs in 1999. The second-tier (former) Japan Football League, now became third-tier Japan Football League.

The criteria for becoming a J2 club was not as strict as those for the top division. This allowed smaller cities and towns to maintain a club successfully without investing as much as would be necessary for clubs in J1. In fact, clubs like Mito HollyHock only draw an average of 3,000 fans a game and receive minimal sponsorship, yet still field fairly competitive teams in J2.

Clubs in J2 took time to build their teams for J1 promotion as they also tried to gradually improve their youth systems, their home stadium, their financial status, and their relationship with their hometown. Clubs such as Oita Trinita, Albirex Niigata, Kawasaki Frontale, and Ventforet Kofu accomplished this successfully. All these clubs originally started as J2 in 1999 and were comparatively small, but they eventually earned J1 promotion in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 respectively. Even though Kofu and Oita were later relegated back to the Division 2, they are well-established association football clubs as they are managing to attract average of 10,000 fans per game.

The league also began to follow European game formats as time went on. In the first three seasons (1999–2001), games were played with extra time for regular league matches if there were not winner at end of the regulation. The extra time was abolished in 2002, and the league adopted the standard 3-1-0 points system.

Early expansion era (2004–2009)[link]

Two third-tier Japan Football League clubs, Mito HollyHock and Yokohama F.C. joined the J2 League in 2000 and 2001 seasons. Mito initially tried in 1999 season but failed, and had a better luck in the following year. On the other hand, Yokohama F.C. was formed by the fans of Yokohama Flügels, who went defunct after the merger with Yokohama Marinos on Jan 1st, 1999. In essence, these two clubs could and should have joined the league in the inaugural year with the original ten clubs, and it was inevitable that they were eventually accepted by the league.

However, excluding these two clubs, it seemed that there were no interests from the lower-level clubs; the second division did not see any farther expansion for few seasons. In 2004 seasons, however, suddenly two clubs showed interested as Thespa Kusatsu and Tokushima Vortis were accepted to the league. Two years later in the 2006 season, Ehime F.C. followed their footsteps. It turned out that many clubs were aiming for membership at the professional level; however, in the early 2000s these clubs were still in the regional leagues, and it took them three to four years to even eye the professionalism.

Clearly, the concept of second-tier professional association football – the fact that a club can compete at the professional league with low budge was something that attracted many amateur clubs across the nation of Japan. At the beginning of the 2006 season, the league took a survey to figure out the number of non-league clubs interested in joining the professional league. The results showed that about 40 to 60 clubs in Japan have plans to professionalize in the next 30 years. From the league's perspective, the J. League Hundred Year Vision from the late 90s has been moving in a positive direction.

In light of this, the league management formed a committee and looked at two practical options for further expansion – either expand the second division or form a third division. In other words, the league had a choice between letting the non-league clubs catch up to the J2 standard or forming a third division with non-league clubs where these clubs can prepare for J2. After conducting several case studies, the committee made a professional assessment that it is the best interest of the league to expand the J2 to 22 clubs rather than forming a third division. Several reasons led the committee to such decision:

• Japan Football League, the third-tier in Japanese football league system was already serving the purpose of preparing the non-league clubs.
• At the time, most non-league clubs interested in professionalism were still in the regional or prefectural leagues, two to four levels below J2.
• Twenty-two clubs is the perfect number for J2 league as it allows enough number of home games for annual revenue, while keeping the competition a fair double-round robin format.
• Most European leagues have similar association football pyramids where there are more clubs in 2nd- and 3rd-tier leagues than the topflight.

The committee also reintroduced Associate Membership System starting 2006 season. This will allow the committee to identify interested non-league clubs and provide necessary resources to such clubs. The membership is exclusively given to non-league clubs that have intention to joining the J. League and also fulfill most of the criteria for J2 promotion. Several clubs in Japan Football League and Regional Leagues have applied and received the membership. Associate members finishing top 4 of JFL will be promoted to J2. Following the promotion of Ehime F.C., six more clubs have joined J2 League through this system.

As the number of clubs increased, league format changed from quadruple round-robin to triple round-robin format. This was adopted during 2008 season with 15 clubs and 2009 season with 18 clubs. In the 2009, the J2 league also saw increase of promotion slot to three to accommodate the eighteen-club league. As the result Promotion/Relegation Series which allowed the third-placed J2 clubs to fight for J1 slots for the following season was abolished after its introduction in the 2004 season.

Introduction of Double round-robin (2010–2011)[link]

As the league has reached 19 clubs in the 2010 season, the J2 League has adopted the double round-robin format. The league continued to expand to 22 clubs, and until then there will be no relegation to Japan Football League. In the next few seasons, maximum number of clubs that can be promoted to J2 was decided by taking the difference of twenty-two minus the number of clubs in J2.

End of Expansion and J2 Playoffs (2012-present)[link]

The league has reached 22 clubs. Two new regulations were introduced. Starting this year, only top two clubs are giving automatic promotion, while clubs from 3rd to 6th has to enter playoffs for the final and third promotion slot just like Football League Championship, Serie B, or Segunda División.^[1] However, the rules will be heavily slanted to favor those with higher league placement:

• The team 3rd in the standings will face the 6th placed team, and the 4th placed team will face the 5th, as in the European leagues; however, unlike these leagues, the round will be only one match, at the home side of the higher placed team.
• The winners of the two matches face at the home side of the higher placed team, or potentially at a neutral venue (likely Tokyo National Stadium). The winner of this match is promoted to J1.
• In all matches, in case of a draw after regulation time, the team that ended the season with the higher placement in the league table will be considered the winner, so there will be no extra time and/or penalty shootout in the final.

Also starting this year, bottom two clubs can be relegated to JFL, depending on how JFL season finishes.

Plans (2013—)[link]

Starting 2013, club licensing system will be implemented. Clubs failing to fulfill this licensing requirement can be relegated to JFL regardless of placement.

Timetable[link]

Stance in the Japanese football pyramid[link]

Since the inception of the second division in 1999, promotion and relegation follow a pattern similar to European leagues, where the two bottom clubs of J1 and the top two clubs of J2 are guaranteed to move. From 2004 to 2008 season, the third-placed J2 club entered Promotion/Relegation Series against the sixteenth-placed J1 club and the winner had right to play in the top flight in the following year. Starting 2009 season, top three J2 clubs receives J1 promotion by default in place of three bottom J1 clubs. However, promotion or right to play the now-defunct pro/rele series relies on the J2 clubs meeting the requirements for J1 franchise status set by the league. This has generally not been a hindrance, in fact, no club is yet to be denied promotion due to not meeting the J1 criteria.

Japan Football League (JFL) is currently the third level in the association football system and being a semi-professional league, the J. League allows only certain clubs from JFL to be promoted. In 2000, 2001, and 2006 the JFL league champion was promoted to J2; in 2005 two teams were promoted. From 2007, the league requires J. League Associate Membership and at least 4th-place finish in JFL to be promoted to J2. Currently, there is no relegation from J2 to JFL. Since 1999, a total of twelve clubs from JFL were promoted J2, two of which were expanded into J1. Currently, J1 has 18 clubs and J2 has 20 clubs. The division two will keep expanding until it has 22 clubs and afterwards there will be regular promotion and relegation.

Since the inception in 1999, format of J2 has been very consistent. The clubs played a quadruple round-robin (two home and away) format during the 1999 to 2007 seasons. To accommodate the on-going expansion process triple round-robin format was implemented during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Also until the 2001 season, the clubs played extra time if they were tied after regulation and the clubs received 3pts for a regulation win, 2pts for an extra time win, 1pt for a tie, and 0pts for loss (there were no penalties). However, starting 2002, the league abolished extra time and set the points system to the standard 3-1-0 system.

The number of clubs reached 19 in 2010; thus the league format has been changed to double round-robin format.

J. League associate membership[link]

J. League Associate Membership is a status given to the non-league association football clubs in Japan that has intention to join J. League, in the near future. Clubs from the Japan Football League, Regional and Prefectural Leagues, may apply for the membership. The applications are reviewed and inspected by a committee formed by the league. The Associate Membership is now required for J2 promotion and the system allows the J. League to identify the clubs that are intending to join the league and provide necessary resources.

Current Members

• V-Varen Nagasaki (JFL)
• Kamatamare Sanuki (JFL)
• S.C. Sagamihara (Kantō League D2)

2012 season[link]

League Formats (2012)[link]

Twenty-two clubs will play in double round-robin format, a total of 42 games each. A club receives 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked by points, and tie breakers are, in the following order:

• Goal difference
• Goals scored
• Head-to-head results
• Disciplinary points

A draw would be conducted, if necessary. However, if two clubs are tied at the first place, both clubs will be declared as the champions. Two top clubs will be directly promoted to J1, and third promotion spot will be decided in the playoff series amongst clubs placed 4−6th.

The relegation to Japan Football League will depend on the number and final standings of promotion-eligible clubs. Up to two clubs can be exchanged between two leagues, with direct promotion/relegation between 22nd J2 place and JFL chamption (if eligible) and/or playoff series between JFL runner-up and last non-relegated J2 team.

Prize Money

• First Place: 20,000,000 Yen
• Second Place: 10,000,000 Yen
• Third Place: 5,000,000 Yen

Participating Clubs (2012)[link]

Avispa Fukuoka

Ehime F.C.

Fagiano Okayama

F.C. Gifu

Gainare Tottori

Giravanz Kitakyushu

JEF United Chiba

Kataller Toyama

Kyoto Sanga F.C.

Machida Zelvia

Matsumoto Yamaga

Mito Hollyhock

Montedio Yamagata

Oita Trinita

Roasso Kumamoto

Shonan Bellmare

Thespa Kusatsu

Tochigi S.C.

Tokushima Vortis

Tokyo Verdy

Ventforet Kofu

Yokohama F.C.

Locations of the 2012 J. League 2 teams

• Gray background denotes club was most recently relegated/demoted from J1 League.
• Pink background denotes club was most recently promoted from Japan Football League.
• "Year joined" is the year the club joined the J. League (Division 2 unless otherwise indicated).
• "Last spell in top flight" includes seasons in the old Japan Soccer League First Division.

Stadiums (2011)[link]

Primary venues used in the J. League:

Consadole Sapporo	Ehime F.C.	Fagiano Okayama	F.C. Gifu	F.C. Tokyo
Sapporo Dome	Ningineer Stadium	Kanko Stadium	Nagaragawa Stadium	Ajinomoto Stadium
Capacity: 41,484	Capacity: 20,000	Capacity: 20,000	Capacity: 31,000	Capacity: 50,000
Gainare Tottori	Giravanz Kitakyushu	JEF United Chiba	Kataller Toyama	Kyoto Sanga F.C.
Torigin Bird Stadium	Honjō Athletic Stadium	Fukuda Denshi Arena	Toyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium	Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium
Capacity: 16,033	Capacity: 10,202	Capacity: 19,781	Capacity: 28,494	Capacity: 20,242
Mito Hollyhock	Oita Trinita	Roasso Kumamoto	Sagan Tosu	Shonan Bellmare
K's denki Stadium Mito	Ōita Bank Dome	KKWing Stadium	Tosu Stadium	Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium
Capacity: 12,000	Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 32,000	Capacity: 24,490	Capacity: 18,500
Thespa Kusatsu	Tochigi S.C.	Tokushima Vortis	Tokyo Verdy	Yokohama F.C.
Shikishima Stadium	Tochigi Green Stadium	Pocari Sweat Stadium	Ajinomoto Stadium	Mitsuzawa Stadium
Capacity: 10,050	Capacity: 18,025	Capacity: 20,441	Capacity: 50,000	Capacity: 15,046

Championship/Promotion History[link]

The top two clubs receive promotion. From the 2004 season to the 2008 seasone, the 3rd placed club plays Promotion/Relegation Series against 16th-placed club in J1. Starting from the 2009 season, the 3rd placed club is promoted by default.

* Bold designates the promoted club; † Lost the Promotion/Relegation Series; ‡ Won the Promotion/Relegation Series and promoted

Most successful clubs

Other tournaments[link]

Domestic Tournaments

• Emperor's Cup (1921—)
• XEROX Super Cup (1994—)

Defunct Tournament

• Promotion/Relegation Series (2004–2008)

Players and managers[link]

Players[link]

• List of J. League players
• List of J-League players from Japan
• List of J-League players from AFC
• List of J-League players from CAF
• List of J-League players from CONCACAF
• List of J-League players from CONMEBOL
• List of J-League players from OFC
• List of J-League players from UEFA

Managers[link]

• List of J. League managers

See also[link]

• J. League records
• J. League contracts
• Winning Eleven (Official video game)

References[link]

External links[link]

• (Japanese) Official Website
• (English) Official Website
• (Japanese) Official YouTube Channel

In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style competitions, many leagues known as the Second Division have fallen to a lower tier in countries' football league system.

Second Division may also refer to:

• 2nd Division (disambiguation), various military divisions
• Second Division, a grade awarded to school and college students in India that is higher than Third Division but lower than First Division.

Football[link]

Divided by authority, Second Divisions in association football include (with country and actual level):

UEFA[link]

• Albanian Second Division, Albania (third tier)
• Segona Divisió, Andorra (second tier)
• Belgian Second Division, Belgium (second tier)
• Second League of the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina (third tier)
• Czech 2. Liga, Czech Republic (second tier)
• Cypriot Second Division, Cyprus (second tier)
• Druga HNL, Croatia (second tier)
• Danish 2nd Division, Denmark (third tier)
• England
  • Football League Second Division, (third tier)
  • Isthmian League Second Division, (ninth tier)
• Second League of Estonia (third tier)
• 2. deild, Faroe Islands (third tier)
• Kakkonen, Finland (third tier)
• Ligue 2, France (second tier)
• Second Macedonian Football League (Macedonian Vtora Liga), Republic of Macedonia (second tier)
• Meore Liga, Georgia (third tier)
• 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany (second tier)
• Football League (Greece) (formerly Beta Ethniki, Greece (second tier)
• Nemzeti Bajnokság II (Hungarian National Championship II), Hungary (second tier)
• 2. deild karla, Iceland (third tier)
• Italy
  • Serie B, (second tier)
  • Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (fourth tier)
• Maltese Second Division, Malta (third tier)
• Montenegrin Second League, Montenegro (second tier)
• Norwegian Second Division (2. divisjon), Norway (third tier)
• II liga (Poland) (Polish Second League), Poland (third tier)
• Portugal
  • Liga de Honra, formerly "Segunda Divisão de Honra", (second tier)
  • Segunda Divisão (Portuguese Second Division), (third tier)
• Liga II, Romania
• Russian Second Division, Russia (third tier)
• Scottish Football League Second Division, Scotland (third tier)
• I Liga (Slovakia) (Slovak Second League), Slovakia (third tier)
• Slovenian Second League, Slovenia (second tier)
• Segunda División de La Liga, Spain
• Swedish football Division 2, Sweden (fourth tier)
• TFF Second League, Turkey (third tier)
• Ukrainian Second League, Ukraine (third tier)
• Welsh Football League Division Two, Wales (second tier)

CONCACAF[link]

• Segunda División de México (formerly Segunda División Profesional), Mexico (third tier)
• USL Second Division, United States (third tier)

CONMEBOL[link]

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Brazil (second tier)
• Ecuadorian Serie B, Ecuador (second tier)
• Paraguayan Segunda División, Paraguay (second tier)
• Peruvian Segunda División, Peru (second tier)
• Uruguayan Segunda División, Uruguay (second tier)

Other sports[link]

• Division II (NCAA), the second tier of intercollegiate sports in the United States
• Second division (baseball), historically, a team finishing in the second half of its league

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J. League Division 1

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Countries	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Founded	1992
Number of teams	18
Levels on pyramid	1
Relegation to	J. League Division 2
Domestic cup(s)	Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Emperor's Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League
Current champions	Kashiwa Reysol (2011)
Most championships	Kashima Antlers (7 titles)
TV partners	SKY PerfecTV!
Website	Official Website
2012 J. League Division 1

The J. League Division 1 (Jリーグ・ディビジョン1, J Rīgu Dibijon1^?) or J1 League (J1リーグ, J1 Rīgu^?) is the top division of Japan Professional Football League (日本プロサッカーリーグ, Nippon Puro Sakkā Rīgu^?) and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese association football league system. The second tier is represented by J. League Division 2.

History[link]

For history of Japanese club association football before the inception of the professional league in 1993, see Japan Soccer League.

For detailed history of J. League Division 2, see J. League Division 2#History.

Phases of J1[link]

Before the professional league (—1992)[link]

Before the inception of the J. League, the highest level of club football was the Japan Soccer League (JSL), which consisted of amateur clubs. Fans were few, the grounds were not of the highest quality, and the Japanese national team was not on a par with the Asian powerhouses. To raise the level of play domestically, to attempt to garner more fans, and to strengthen the national team, the Japan Football Association (JFA) decided to form a professional league.

The professional association football league, J. League was formed in 1992, with eight clubs drawn from the JSL First Division, one from the Second Division, and the newly formed Shimizu S-Pulse. At the same time, JSL changed its name and became the Japan Football League, a semi-professional league. Although the J. League did not officially launch until 1993, the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup competition was held between the ten clubs in 1992 to prepare for the inaugural season.

Inaugural season and J. League boom (1993–1995)[link]

J. League officially kicked-off its first season with ten clubs on May 15, 1993 as Verdy Kawasaki (current, Tokyo Verdy) played host to Yokohama Marinos (current, Yokohama F. Marinos) at the Kasumigaoka National Stadium. It made a huge impact on the Japanese sports culture as professional baseball, golf, and sumo were the only well-supported and widely watched sports in the country. Many famous and post-peak foreign players were brought into the clubs and the stadiums were filling in. On every match day, at least one game was broadcast live on national TV, and it seemed the league was a huge success. In the second season (1994), the league recorded its highest average attendance of 19,598, which is yet to be broken.

Because of such popularity, clubs in the (former) JFL that failed to join "the original ten" in the inaugural season tried to join the league. Clubs like Júbilo Iwata and Bellmare Hiratsuka (current, Shonan Bellmare) joined the league in 1994, six more clubs followed in next four years.

After the boom (1996–1999)[link]

Despite the success in the first three years, many experts anticipate that "the boom" would soon dissipate, and the league would be in terrible shape financially as the clubs continued paying high wages to the foreign players. In fact, the phenomenon began in early 1996 as the league attendance declined rapidly. In 1997 the average attendance was 10,131, compared to more than 19,000 in 1994. Many claimed that the sudden decline in popularity was also due to rapid expansions; A total of eight clubs were added in the four year span from 1994 to 1998. With high paychecks and low attendance, money was bleeding from the clubs, and the league sponsors were becoming very worried. It seemed that there was no way out from the losses.

Although J. League clubs were no longer corporate-owned, they still depended heavily on support from sponsors, who were thus de facto parent companies. When the Japanese economy took a turn for the worse, clubs suffered as their sponsors were affected. In 1998, Sato Kogyo, a general contractor and primary co-sponsor of Yokohama Flügels, announced that it was experiencing financial difficulties, and it would be pulling its support from the club. The other primary co-sponsor, All Nippon Airways, who could not support the club on its own, met with Nissan Motors, the primary sponsor of Yokohama Marinos, the Flügels' cross-town rival, and decided to merge their clubs. Under the agreement, the Flügels were dissolved, and the Marinos were renamed Yokohama F. Marinos, the "F." representing the Flügels. To many, this incident signified and symbolized as "the fall of the league" as many other clubs across the league were having similar financial difficulties. Another great example is Fujita canceling a major sponsorship deal with Bellmare Hiratsuka, which ultimately lead to the relegation of the club in 2000. Without a change, it would be just a matter of time before the league collapsed.

Change of infrastructure and game formats (1999–2004)[link]

The league's management finally realized that they were heading in the wrong direction. In order to solve the problem, the management came out with two solutions.

First, they announced the J. League Hundred Year Vision, in which they aim to make 100 professional association football clubs in the nation of Japan by 2092, the hundredth season. The league also encouraged the clubs to promote football or non-football related sports and health activities, to acquire local sponsorships, and to build good relationship with their hometowns at the grass-root level. The league believed that this will allow the clubs to bond with their respective cities and towns and get support from local government, companies, and citizens. In other words, clubs will be able to rely on the locals, rather than major national sponsors.^[1]

Second, the infrastructure of the league was heavily changed in 1999. The league acquired nine clubs from the semi-professional JFL and one club from J. League to create a two division system. The top flight became the J. League Division 1 (J1) with 16 clubs while J. League Division 2 (J2) was launched with ten clubs in 1999. The second-tier Japan Football League (former), now became third-tier Japan Football League.

The league also began to follow European game formats as time went on. Originally, due to the cultural unease^{[citation needed]} of neither side coming out as the winner of a game, extra time, golden goal rules, and penalty shoot-outs were employed for regular league matches. Penalty shoot-outs were abolished in the beginning of the 1999 season, and extra time was abolished in 2002 for J2 and 2003 for J1.

Also, until 2004 (with the exception of 1996 season), the J1 season was divided into two. At the end of each full season, the champion from each half played a two-legged series to determine the overall season winner and runners-up. Júbilo Iwata in 2002, and Yokohama F. Marinos in 2003, won both "halves" of the respective seasons, thus eliminating the need for the playoff series. This was the part of the reason the league abolished the split-season system starting from 2005.

European League Format & AFC Champions League (2005–2008)[link]

Since the 2005 season, J. League Division 1 consisted of 18 clubs (from 16 in 2004) and the season format became similar to the European club football. The number of relegated clubs also increased from 2 to 2.5, with the third-from-bottom club going into promotion/relegation playoffs with the third-placed J2 club. Since then, other than minor adjustments, the top flight has stayed consistent.

Japanese association football clubs have been participating in the AFC Champions League since the 1980s, but for the most part, the Japanese clubs took the Asian competition as an extra burden that took their attention away from the domestic competition. A good example is the 2005 season, where ACL participants Yokohama and Iwata went through 13 consecutive Asian and domestic matches in a span of 44 days, averaging 1 game per 3.66 days. The league declined to ease the fixture pressure from the clubs, whereas Chinese and Korean league moved their domestic games to help their clubs in continental competition. The issue of fixture congestion was finally addressed by the 2006 season.

However in the recent years, with inclusion of A-League in Eastern Asia, introduction of FIFA Club World Cup, and increased marketability in the Asian continent, both the league and the clubs paid more attention to Asian competition. For example, Kawasaki Frontale built up a notable fan base in Hong Kong, owing to their participation in the Asian Champions League during the 2007 season.^[2] Continuous effort led to the success of Urawa Red Diamonds in 2007 and Gamba Osaka in 2008. Thanks to excellent league management and competitiveness in Asian competition, the AFC awarded J. League the highest league ranking and a total of 4 slots starting from the 2009 season. The league took this as an opportunity to sell TV broadcasting rights to foreign countries, especially in Asia.

Also starting the 2008 season, Emperor's Cup Winner was allowed to participate in the upcoming Champions League season, rather than waiting a whole year (i.e. 2005 Emperor's Cup winner, Tokyo Verdy, participated in the 2007 ACL season, instead of the 2006 season). In order to fix this one-year lag issue, the 2007 Emperor's Cup winner, Kashima Antlers', turn was waived. Nonetheless, Kashima Antlers ended up participating in the 2009 ACL season by winning the J. League title in the 2008 season.

Modern phase (2009–2012)[link]

Three major changes were seen starting in the 2009 season. First, starting this season, four clubs entered the AFC Champions League. Secondly, the number of relegation slots increased to three. Finally, the AFC Player slot was implemented starting this season. Each club will be allowed to have a total of four foreign players; however, one slot is reserved for a player that derives from an AFC country other than Japan.

Next season plans (2012—)[link]

There are currently no major plans for J. League Division 1. The number of clubs will most likely stay at 18. Recently, in the Japanese media there has been a rumor of an implementation for a playoff system for J1 Championship or creating new Japanese Premier League with fewer clubs.

Timetable[link]

Stance in the Japanese football pyramid[link]

Since the inception of the second division in 1999, promotion and relegation follow a pattern similar to European leagues, where the two bottom clubs of J1 and the top two clubs of J2 are guaranteed to move. From 2004 to 2008 season, the third-placed J2 club entered Promotion/Relegation Series against the sixteenth-placed J1 club and the winner had right to play in the top flight in the following year. Starting 2009 season, top three J2 clubs receives J1 promotion by default in place of three bottom J1 clubs. However, promotion or right to play the now-defunct pro/rele series relies on the J2 clubs meeting the requirements for J1 franchise status set by the league. This has generally not been a hindrance, in fact, no club is yet to be denied promotion due to not meeting the J1 criteria.

Until 2004 season, the J1 season was divided into two halves, with an annual championship series involving the champions from each halves (with exception of the 1996 season). However, from 2005 season, the single-season format is adopted as the top flight was expanded to eighteen clubs. Currently, 18 clubs competes in double round robin, home and away. Starting 2008 season, the top three clubs, along with the Emperor's Cup winner receive ACL berths for the following season. If the Emperor's Cup winner happens to be one of the top three J1 finisher, the 4th-place club receives the final berth. Starting 2009 season, three bottom club are relegated to Division 2 at the end of the year.

2011 season[link]

League Format (2011)[link]

Eighteen clubs will play in double round-robin (home and away) format, a total of 34 games each. A club receives 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked by points, and tie breakers are, in the following order:

• Goal differential
• Goals scored
• Head-to-head results
• Disciplinary points

A draw would be conducted, if necessary. However, if two clubs are tied for first place, both clubs will be declared as co-champions. The top three clubs will qualify to the following year's AFC Champions League, while the bottom three clubs will be relegated to J2. Further, the J. League Champions gain automatic entry to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup as a host, if a Japanese Club does not win the 2011 AFC Champions League.

Prize Money

• First Place: 200,000,000 Yen
• Second Place: 100,000,000 Yen
• Third Place: 80,000,000 Yen
• Fourth Place: 60,000,000 Yen
• Fifth Place: 40,000,000 Yen
• Six Place: 20,000,000 Yen
• Seventh Place: 10,000,000 Yen

Participating clubs (2012)[link]

Albirex Niigata

Cerezo Osaka

Consadole Sapporo

F.C. Tokyo

Gamba Osaka

Júbilo Iwata

Kashima Antlers

Kashiwa Reysol

Kawasaki Frontale

Nagoya Grampus

Omiya Ardija

Sagan Tosu

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Shimizu S-Pulse

Urawa Red Diamonds

Vegalta Sendai

Vissel Kobe

Yokohama F. Marinos

Locations of the 2012 J. League 1 teams

• Pink background denotes club was most recently promoted from J. League Division 2.
• "Year joined" is the year the club joined the J. League (Division 1 unless otherwise indicated).
• "First season in top flight", "Current spell in top flight" and "Last title" includes seasons in the old Japan Soccer League First Division.

Former clubs[link]

• Grey background denotes club was most recently relegated to J. League Division 2.
• "Year joined" is the year the club joined the J. League (Division 1 unless otherwise indicated).
• "First season in top flight", "Last spell in top flight" and "Last title" includes seasons in the old Japan Soccer League First Division.

Stadiums J.League Division 1 (2011)[link]

Primary venues used in the J. League:

Albirex Niigata	Avispa Fukuoka	Cerezo Osaka	Gamba Osaka	Júbilo Iwata	Kashima Antlers
Tohoku Denryoku Big Swan Stadium	Level-5 Stadium	Kincho Stadium	Osaka Expo '70 Stadium	Yamaha Stadium	Kashima Soccer Stadium
Capacity: 42,300	Capacity: 22,563	Capacity: 20,000	Capacity: 23,000	Capacity: 16,893	Capacity: 40,728
Kashiwa Reysol	Kawasaki Frontale	Montedio Yamagata	Nagoya Grampus	Omiya Ardija	Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium	Todoroki Athletics Stadium	Yamagata Park Stadium	Toyota Stadium	Ōmiya Park Soccer Stadium	Hiroshima Big Arch
Capacity: 15,900	Capacity: 25,000	Capacity: 20,315	Capacity: 45,000	Capacity: 15,500	Capacity: 50,000
Shimizu S-Pulse	Urawa Red Diamonds	Vegalta Sendai	Ventforet Kofu	Vissel Kobe	Yokohama F. Marinos
Nihondaira Sports Stadium	Saitama Stadium	Sendai Stadium	Kose Sports Stadium	Home's Stadium Kobe	Nissan Stadium
Capacity: 20,339	Capacity: 63,700	Capacity: 19,694	Capacity: 17,000	Capacity: 30,132	Capacity: 72,370

Game History[link]

Championship History[link]

Most successful clubs

Relegation history[link]

The 1998 season

When the league introduced the two-division system in 1999, they also reduced number of Division 1 club from 18 to 16. At the end of 1998 season, they hosted the J. League Promotion Tournament to determine two relegating clubs. Originally, tournament was supposed to have six participants; Kawasaki Frontale from former JFL and five bottom clubs from the very-complex combined ranking of 1997 and 1998 J. League seasons. However, the merger of Yokohama Flügels with Yokohama Marinos reduced the number J. League club to 17. Thus, the league brought four bottom clubs from J. League together with Kawasaki Frontale and decided that three survivors will join J. League Division 1 and two other teams will be sent into Division 2. As a result, Kawasaki Frontale failed to win J1 promotion and Consadole Sapporo became the first club in J. League history to relegate to J2. These two clubs and eight other former JFL participants were brought up to create the second division.

Split-season era (1999–2004)

Throughout 1999 to 2003 seasons, two bottom clubs clubs were relegated to Division 2. To accommodate for split-season format, combined overall standings were used to determine the relegating clubs. This created a confusing situation, where for championship race stage standing were used, while overall standing was used for relegation survival.

At end of the 2004 season, Division 1 again expanded from 16 to 18 clubs. No clubs were relegated; however, last-placed (16th) club had to play Promotion/Relegation Series against 3rd placed club from J2. Again, to determined 16th placed club, overall standing was used instead of stage standing.

Single season era (2005–present)

For the next four seasons, 2005 to 2008, the number of relegating club was increased to 2.5, with two clubs from each division being promoted and relegated directly, and two more (15th in J1 and 3rd in J2) playing in Promotion/Relegation Series.

Since 2009, the pro/rele series were abandoned and three teams will be relegated from and promoted to J1 by default.

Summary

* Bold designates relegated clubs; † Won the Pro/Rele Series; ‡ Lost the Pro/Rele Series and relegated

Other tournaments[link]

Domestic Tournaments

• Emperor's Cup (1921–present)
• JOMO All-Stars Soccer (1993–present)
• XEROX Super Cup (1994–present)
• Yamazaki Nabisco Cup (1992–present, excluding 1995)

International Tournaments

• FIFA Club World Cup (2007–2008, 2011–2012)
• AFC Champions League (1969, 1986/87-2002/03, 2004–present)
• Suruga Bank Championship (2008–present)

Defunct Tournament

• A3 Champions Cup (2003–2007)
• Pan-Pacific Championship (2008, 2009)
• Promotion/Relegation Series (2004–2008)
• Sanwa Bank Cup (1994–1997)
• Suntory Championship (1993–2004, excluding 1996)

J. League awards[link]

• Manager of the Year Award
• Most Valuable Player Award
• Rookie of the Year Award
• The Best XI
• Top Scorer Award

Players and managers[link]

Players[link]

• List of J. League players
• List of J-League players from AFC
• List of J-League players from CAF
• List of J-League players from CONCACAF
• List of J-League players from CONMEBOL
• List of J-League players from Japan
• List of J-League players from OFC
• List of J-League players from UEFA

Managers[link]

• List of J. League managers

Media coverage[link]

In Australia, the J. League is broadcast by Setanta Sports.

In the United States, the J. League is broadcast by One World Sports.

See also[link]

• J. League contracts
• J. League records
• Winning Eleven (Official video game)

References[link]

External links[link]

• (Japanese) Official Website
• (English) Official Website
• (Japanese) Official YouTube Channel