X-League

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For information on Vince McMahon's football league, please see XFL.
For information on the video game channel, please see XLeague.tv.
X-League
X-League
Sport American football
Founded 1971
No. of teams 60
Country(ies) Japan
Most recent
champion(s)
Matsushita Electric Works Impulse
Official website X-League Homepage

The X-League is a semi-professional American football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan American Football League. It changed its name to the X-league in 1987. There are four division (X1, X2, X3, and X4) between which there is promotion and relegation. Teams in the four-tier league are split into east, west, and central divisions. There are two types of teams, one being a company-team which only employees of that particular sponsoring company may participate as a player, and the other classified as a club-team for which anyone can tryout.

The Japanese game is shorter, with quarters lasting 12 minutes instead of the standard 15. Game rules are based on those of the NCAA college division in America. The five-game regular season ends with three rounds of playoffs and the Japan X Bowl. There is a spring tournament as well called the Pearl Bowl which is used by teams to ready themselves and evaluate new players before the fall season.

As mentioned above, it is a semi-pro league and therefore players are not allowed to be compensated for their playing in terms of salary.

The Japan national American football team that has won the first and second editions of the American Football World Cup and was runner-up finishing second to the American team in last years third installment of the tournament, was made-up almost entirely of players from this league.

Contents

[edit] 2007 X League X1 Teams

Division Team
East Asahi Beer Silver Star
Obic Seagulls
Fujitsu Frontiers
All Mitsubishi Lions
Renesas Hurricanes
ROCBULL
Central Onward Oaks
Kajima Deers
IBM BigBlue
Tokyo Gas Creators
Meiji Yasuda Pirates
Fuji Xerox American Football Club
West Matsushita Electric Works Impulse
Naigai Marvies
Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers
SRC Kobe Finies
AS One Blackeagles
Nagoya Cyclones

[edit] X Bowl

Since 1987, Japan X Bowl has decided the X-League championship. Until 2002, it was known as the Tokyo Super Bowl. The winner of this game goes on to the Rice Bowl to face the winner of the Koshien Bowl, the national college championship game.

[edit] Winners

Year Bowl Sdutiam Winner Score Runner-up
1987 Tokyo Super Bowl I Yokohama Stadium Renoun Rovers 31-28 Asahi Beer Silver Star
1988 Tokyo Super Bowl II Tokyo Dome Renoun Rovers 28-20 Matsushita Electric Works
1989 Tokyo Super Bowl III Tokyo Dome Asahi Beer 14-9 NEC
1990 Tokyo Super Bowl IV Tokyo Dome Matsushita Electric Works 14-6 Onward Oaks
1991 Tokyo Super Bowl V Tokyo Dome Onward Oaks 49-10 Sunstar
1992 Tokyo Super Bowl VI Tokyo Dome Asahi Beer 21-7 Matsushita Electric Works
1993 Tokyo Super Bowl VII Tokyo Dome Asahi Beer 13-0 Sunstar
1994 Tokyo Super Bowl VIII Tokyo Dome Matsushita Electric Works 48-28 Onward Oaks
1995 Tokyo Super Bowl IX Tokyo Dome Matsushita Electric Works 54-20 Recruit
1996 Tokyo Super Bowl X Tokyo Dome Recruit 30-10 Onward Oaks
1997 Tokyo Super Bowl XI Tokyo Dome Kajima 48-12 Matsushita Electric Works
1998 Tokyo Super Bowl XII Tokyo Dome Recruit 45-24 Asahi Beer
1999 Tokyo Super Bowl XIII Tokyo Dome Asahi Beer 18-16 Kajima
2000 Tokyo Super Bowl XIV Tokyo Dome Asahi Inryo 20-18 Matsushita Electric Works
2001 Tokyo Super Bowl XV Tokyo Dome Asahi Inryo 14-7 Matsushita Electric Works
2002 Tokyo Super Bowl XVI Tokyo Dome Seagulls 14-7 Fujitsu
2003 Japan X Bowl XVII Tokyo Dome Onward Skylarks 13-10 Asahi Beer
2004 Japan X Bowl XVIII Kobe Wing Stadium Matsushita Electric Works 15-6 Asahi Beer
2005 Japan X Bowl XIX Tokyo Dome Obic 25-16 Matsushita Electric Works
2006 Japan X Bowl XX Kyocera Dome Osaka Onward Skylarks 24-21 Kajima Deers
2007 Japan X Bowl XXI Tokyo Dome Matsushita Electric Works 33-13 Fujitsu Frontiers

[edit] References

Languages