J3 League

J3 League
Country  Japan
Confederation AFC
Founded 2013
Number of teams 13
Level on pyramid 3
Promotion to J. League Division 2
Domestic cup(s) Emperor's Cup
Current champions Zweigen Kanazawa
(2014)
Most championships Zweigen Kanazawa
(1 title)
Website Official Website
2015 J3 League

J3 League (J3リーグ 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 Nippon Puro Sakkā Rīgu) that has established a third-tier professional association football league in Japan starting in 2014.

The third-tier nationwide league is a relatively recent development in Japanese football with the first attempt dated 1992 (second division of the old JFL), though it only lasted for two seasons. In 1999, following the establishment of J. League Division 2, a new Japan Football League was created, fulfilling the third tier onwards. After introduction of J3 the JFL has been moved down the pyramid and become a fourth-tier nationwide league, for the first time in history of Japanese football.

For their inaugural season, the league will be known by their title sponsor, the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance J3 League.

History of Japanese third-tier football

Amateur era (–2013)

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 the professional J. League. But after a number of clubs were lost for various reasons – some were promoted to J. League and the others folded – the league contracted 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 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 the core of J3.

Professionalization and establishment (2013)

Close to the end of 2012 football season Japanese media began to spread rumors[1][2] 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 will feature around 10–12 clubs, most of which will be associate members. The league would also provide more relaxed licencing criteria in comparison to J2 – e.g. the stadium seating capacity of just 3,000 with no mandatory floodlighting.[3]

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.[4] This decision was formally put into force by J. League Council on 26 February executive meeting.[5] The league was planned to launch with 10 teams, but another session of J. League Council in July decided that inaugural season of J3 will feature 12 teams.[6]

In order to participate, a club must have held an associate membership, or have submitted an application before 30 June 2013, and then passed an inspection in order to obtain a participation licence issued by J. League Council.[7] On November 19, J. League has confirmed the following clubs to participate in the inaugural J3 season:[8]

Future plans

The league has not provided a clear expansion timeline yet but it is most likely that J3 will continue to accommodate new teams after its inaugural season. The following is a list of clubs that have applied for participation in 2013 but have been rejected by J. League for various reasons:[10]

Most of these clubs continue to aim for J3 as their ultimate goal.

Some sources claim that J3 is intended to reach up to 60 clubs in the future, being split into three regionalized divisions running in parallel.[11]

2015 season

Main article: 2015 J3 League

League format

The league is played in three rounds, each team playing a total of 33 matches. J. League U-22 team will play all their matches on the road.[12]

Each team must feature at least 3 players holding professional contracts. Two foreign players are allowed per team, plus 1 more from the ASEAN partner country of J. League. The matchday roster will consist of 16 players, and up to 5 substitutes will be allowed in a game.[12]

Promotion and relegation

Rules for promotion to J2 are largely similar to those of Japan Football League in the recent seasons: in order to be promoted, a club must hold a J2 license and finish in top 2 of the league. The U-22 team is not eligible for promotion regardless of their final position. The champions will be promoted directly, in exchange to 22nd-placed J2 club; and the runners-up will participate in the playoffs with 21st J2 club. If either or both top 2 finishers are ineligible for promotion, the playoffs and/or direct exchange will not be held in accordance to the exact positions of promotion-eligible clubs.[12]

No relegation to JFL is planned in the foreseeable future.

Participating clubs (2015)

Ryukyu
Greater Tokyo Area
Machida, Sagamihara, YSCC
Locations of the 2015 J3 League teams
Club Name Year Joined Seasons
in J3		 Based in First Season
in D3		 Seasons
in D3		 Current Spell
in D3		 Last Spell
in J2
Blaublitz Akita 2014 2 All cities/towns in Akita 2007 9 2007— —
Fukushima United 2014 2 Fukushima, Fukushima 2013 3 2013— —
Gainare Tottori 2011 (J2) 2 All cities/towns in Tottori 2001 12 2014— 2011–2013
Grulla Morioka 2014 2 Morioka, Iwate 2014 2 2014— —
J. League U-22 team 2014 2 Plays away games only 2014 2 2014— —
Kataller Toyama 2009 (J2) 1 All cities/towns in Toyama 2008 2 2015— 2009–2014
Fujieda MYFC 2014 2 Fujieda, Shizuoka 2012 4 2012— —
Nagano Parceiro 2014 2 Nagano, Nagano 2011 5 2011— —
Renofa Yamaguchi 2015 1 Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi 2015 1 2015— —
FC Ryukyu 2014 2 All cities/towns in Okinawa 2006 10 2006— —
SC Sagamihara 2014 2 Sagamihara, Kanagawa 2013 3 2013— —
YSCC Yokohama 2014 2 Yokohama, Kanagawa 2012 4 2012— —
Machida Zelvia 2012 (J2) 2 Machida, Tokyo 2009 6 2013— 2012

Former clubs

Club Name Year Joined Seasons
in J3		 Based in First Season
in D3		 Seasons
in D3		 Last Spell
in D3		 Current
League
Zweigen Kanazawa 2014 1 Kanazawa, Ishikawa 2010 5 2010–2014 J2

Championship/Promotion History

Season Winner Runner-up Third place
2014
Zweigen Kanazawa Nagano Parceiro† Machida Zelvia

* Bold designates the promoted club;
† Lost the J2–J3 playoffs;
‡ Won the J2–J3 playoffs and got promoted;

Most successful clubs

Clubs in bold compete in J3 as of 2015 season.

Club Winners Runners-up Promotions Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Promotion seasons
Zweigen Kanazawa
1
0
1
 2014 2014
Nagano Parceiro
0
1
0
 2014

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ｊリーグに「３部」設置構想＝準加盟クラブで２０１４年にも [J. League third division to be installed in 2014] (in Japanese). JIJI Press Ltd. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  2. ↑ ３部相当、１４年開始へ＝名称候補に「Ｊ３」「Ｊチャレンジ」－Ｊリーグ [Third division to start in 2014, J. League sets candidate clubs] (in Japanese). JIJI Press Ltd. 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Jリーグに「3部」設置構想＝準加盟クラブで2014年にも" [New third division starts in 2014] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  4. ↑ Ｊ３設立へ中西理事「理解は得た」 [Director Nakahishi on the agreement for J3 establishment] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports News. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  5. ↑ 来年からＪ３新設を正式決定　Ｊリーグ理事会 [Consul formally decided to launch new J3 league next year] (in Japanese). Sports Nippon Newspapers. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Ｊ3参加クラブ数は「12」で決定 [J3 is determined to start with 12 teams] (in Japanese). J. League. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  7. ↑ Ｊ３までの道のり [Steps to J3 participation] (in Japanese). J. League. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Ｊリーグ入会審査（Ｊ２およびＪ３）結果について [Results of J2 and J3 examination] (in Japanese). J. League. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  9. ↑ 申請クラブ審査状況に更新がありました [Update to club review situation] (in Japanese). J. League. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  10. ↑ 準加盟クラブ・準加盟申請クラブに対する、今後の審査の流れ [Inspection flow for J. League participation] (in Japanese). J. League. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  11. ↑ Ｊリーグ、将来的に１００チームへ [J. League to reach 100 teams in the future] (in Japanese). Soccer Now. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 ２０１４Ｊ３リーグ 大会方式および試合方式について [Playing system and rules of 2014 J3 League] (PDF) (in Japanese), J. League, 17 December 2013, retrieved 30 December 2013

External links