| Competition: | Meiji Yasuda J3 League |
| Season: | 2020 |
| Dates: | 27 June – 20 December |
| Winners: | Blaublitz Akita (2nd title) |
| Promoted: | Blaublitz Akita SC Sagamihara |
| Relegated: | none (for season 2020 only) |
| League Topscorer: | Kaito Taniguchi Roasso Kumamoto (18 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | 5 - 0 Azul Claro Numazu v Cerezo Osaka U23 |
| Highest Scoring: | 6-4 Kagoshima United v Gamba Osaka U23 5-5 Yokohama Sports & Culture Club v Gamba Osaka U23 |
| Matches: | 306 |
| Total Goals: | 791 |
| Longest Wins: | 9 Blaublitz Akita 27 June to 9 August 2020 |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 28 Blaublitz Akita 27 June to 18 November 2020 |
| Highest Attendance: | 6,297 Nagano v Grulla 0-2 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 0 (due to COVID-19) |
| Attendance: | 348,875 [1] |
| Average Attendance: | 1,140 |
| Prevseason: | 2019 |
| Nextseason: | 2021 |
| Updated: | 20 December 2020 |
The 2020 J3 League, referred to as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 7th season of J3 League under its current name.
Blaublitz Akita won the J3 title for the second time in their history. They were promoted to the 2021 J2 League alongside SC Sagamihara. Both teams won promotion for the J2 League for the first time.
On 19 March, the J.League announced no relegation would take place for the 2020 season, with the J1 League expanding to 20 clubs for the 2021 season.
This is last season to with three U-23 teams from J1 in 2020 season. J3 League has been scheduled for a reduction to 15 clubs before the 2021 season.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns, the Japan Football Association (JFA) opted to postpone the beginning of the season, firstly established for 7 March.[2]
On 25 February, all J.League matches until 15 March were postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] After that, it was announced that it would be postponed until 29 March.[4] On March 19, the J.League announced no relegation would take place for the 2020 season, with the J1 League expanding to 20 clubs for the 2021 season.[5] On 25 March, the league announced that the season would be suspended between 3 April and 6 May.[6]
On 3 April, it was decided to start over with the official game schedule, which aimed to gradually resume J3 from 25 April, J2 from 2 May, and J1 from 9 May. Note that, considering a new schedule in the future, the schedule would have called for the season's resumption at least one month later and later in the month.[7]
On 29 May, J.League announced its decision to resume on 27 June.[8] On 9 June, the schedules of the 2020 season were published.[9] On 15 June, new dates were also published. The first 2 matches in each league (J3 1st-2nd section) were held without spectators. After 10 July, as a general rule, the maximum number of people were 5,000 (stadiums with lower capacity are those with less than 50% of the capacity of people watching; no away supporters allowed). After August, the maximum stadium capacity was 50%, and there would be "high alert spectator matches".[10]
After that, at the 11th J.League extraordinary executive committee meeting on 20 July, it was announced that the "super strict alert audience game" was extended to 10 August in view of the spread of coronavirus infection.[11]
2019 season saw two teams promoted to J2 League: Giravanz Kitakyushu won the championship after being for three seasons in the third tier, while Thespakusatsu Gunma won promotion just in the last game of the season.[12] From second division, there was a double automatic relegation for the second time: FC Gifu played their first season in J3 after being in the second division for the last 12 years, when J3 League wasn't even on the cards. Alongside them, an incredible final day of the 2019 season pushed Kagoshima United FC immediately back to J3, just one year after sealing their first-ever participation to the second tier. This is the last J3 League season that featured the U-23 teams from J1 League. On 5 June, FC Tokyo U-23 withdrew from the league.
Also, Japan Football League saw the promotion of another club: after two fifth-placed performances, FC Imabari came third in 2019 and booked their first professional season in their history.[13]
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerezo Osaka U-23 |  Kazuhiro Murata | Appointed Academy Deputy Director and U-18 Head Coach | 28 July 2020[14] | | 28 July 2020[15] |
| FC Gifu |  Zdravko Zemunović | Change of director | 25 September 2020[16] | | 25 September 2020 |
It was decided on 19 March to change the format regarding the rules for promotion/relegation for the end of the season for the J1, J2 and J3 leagues,[17] such that there would be no relegation this season, that two clubs from the J2 League would be promoted to the 2021 J1 League, and that two clubs from the J3 League would be promoted to the 2021 J2 League (subject to licensing regulations).
FC Tokyo U-23's withdrawal was approved at a board meeting held on 5 June, leaving the J3 League with 18 teams.[18]
After matches played on 20 December 2020.[19]
Official website, JLeague.jp
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