2024 Japan Football League Explained

Competition:Japan Football League
Season:2024
Dates:10 March – 24 November
League Topscorer:Takuya Hitomi
(14 goals)
Matches:134
Total Goals:344
Highest Attendance:16,480
Criacao Shinjuku 1–4 Tiamo Hirakata
(7 June)
Lowest Attendance:143
Minebea Mitsumi 0–2 Tochigi City
(24 March)
Updated:21 July 2024
Prevseason:2023
Nextseason:2025

The is the eleventh season having a fourth-tier status in Japanese football and the 26th season since the establishment of the Japan Football League.[1]

Overview

Promoted from the JFL to the J3 League

No team was promoted from the JFL to the J3, since none of the top four clubs last season met the needed requirements for promotion, which includes (but not limited to) having a J3 license.[2]

Promoted from the Regional Leagues

Tochigi City, 2023 Kanto Soccer League runner-up, was the sole promoted team to the JFL as they won the 2023 Regional Champions League.[3]

Vonds Ichihara could join Briobecca Urayasu as Chiba's representatives in the JFL, had they won the 2023 JFL play-off against Okinawa SV.[4]

Promotion and relegation between J3 and JFL

This season is the second to feature promotion/relegation between the J3 League and the Japan Football League, enabling the possibility for teams to be relegated from the J3.[5] The system of promotion/relegation between the leagues 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.

No changes were made from the previous season:

The dates and the host teams of the promotion/relegation play-off were pre-determined by the J.League. In case it happens: It will be played in two legs on 1 and 7 December, with the J3 team hosting the second leg; away-goals rule will not be applied; should the match be tied, it will require extra-time, and if the draw persists, penalty shoot-outs.[8]

Promotion and relegation between JFL and Regional Leagues

Club name changes

Tokyo Musashino United FC returned to its former name Yokogawa Musashino FC,[10] and Suzuka Point Getters became Atletico Suzuka Club.[11]

Participating clubs

The teams which possess (or are applicants of) promotion-enabler licenses are highlighted in green in the following table.

Club name Home town StadiumCapacity Position Notes
Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium20,809 JFL (5th) J3 license applicants
10,000 JFL (4th)
Urayasu, ChibaDaiichi Cutter Field2,100JFL (2nd)
Shinjuku-ku, TokyoAjinomoto Field Nishigaoka7,258 JFL (11th) 100 Year Plan status
J3 license applicants
Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium5,188 JFL (13th)
Tochigi, Tochigi5,085 JRCL (1st) J3 license applicants
Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium2,506 JFL (1st)
5,000 JFL (8th)
1,450 JFL (9th)
5,077 JFL (10th) J3 license applicants
2,500 JFL (12th)
15,000 JFL (3rd) 100 Year Plan status applicants
J3 license applicants
Kōchi Haruno Athletic Stadium25,000 JFL (7th) J3 license applicants
4,700 JFL (6th) J3 license applicants
Hinata Athletic Stadium20,000 JFL (14th)
All cities/towns in OkinawaTapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium10,189JFL (15th)

Personnel and kits

Club Manager Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor
ReinMeer Aomori UmbroTowa
Sony Sendai AdidasSony
Briobecca Urayasu soccer junkyUrata
Criacao Shinjuku Mitsubishi FashionAssetlead
Yokogawa Musashino Toshihiro Ishimura PumaYokogawa Electric
Tochigi City LuxperiorNippon Rika
Honda FC Hidekazu Kobayashi UmbroHonda
Maruyasu Okazaki AthletaMaruyasu
Atletico Suzuka AthletaTopia
Veertien Mie SfidaCosmo Oil
Tiamo Hirakata JogarbolaIzawa Towel
Reilac Shiga DEZRei Beauty
Dermatology Clinic
Kochi United AthletaNone
Verspah Oita YasudaHoyo Group
Minebea Mitsumi UmbroMinebeaMitsumi
Okinawa SV Rei Onogi XFNescafé

Managerial changes

Foreign players

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3
ReinMeer Aomori Bessa Eduardo Vinícius
Sony Sendai
Briobecca Urayasu
Criacao Shinjuku Hwang Song-su
Yokogawa Musashino
Tochigi City Carlos Eduardo Pedro Henrique
Honda FC
Maruyasu Okazaki
Atletico Suzuka
Veertien Mie Kim Song-sun Ryang Hyon-ju
Tiamo Hirakata Willian Emeka Basil Park Kwang-gyu
Reilac Shiga
Kochi United Park Jong-seok
Verspah Oita
Minebea Mitsumi
Okinawa SV

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals[13]
1 Takuya HitomiAtletico Suzuka14
2 Atsushi YoshidaTochigi City9
3 Takumi FujiwaraTochigi City8
4 Kokoro KobayashiKochi United7
5 Kakeru AotoOkinawa SV6
BessaReinMeer Aomori

See also

National association
League
Cup

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: JFLチャンネル及び今季の放送について. 3 April 2024.
  2. Web site: 第26回日本フットボールリーグ参加チーム. 3 April 2024. ja. jfl.or.jp.
  3. Web site: 第26回日本フットボールリーグ新入会チームについて. 3 April 2024. ja. jfl.or.jp.
  4. Web site: 2023年度JFL・地域入れ替え戦「沖縄がJFL残留を決める!」. 3 April 2024. ja. jfl.or.jp.
  5. Web site: 2023シーズン以降のJ3クラブ・JFLクラブの入れ替えについて. 6 January 2023. 6 January 2023. ja. jleague.jp. Japan Professional Football League.
  6. Web site: 2024J3・JFL入れ替え戦 大会方式および試合方式について. 3 April 2024. ja. jleague.jp.
  7. Web site: Jリーグ入会要件の改定について. 3 April 2024. ja. jleague.jp.
  8. Web site: Promotion and Relegation between J3 and JFL from 2023 season. en. 16 January 2023. jleague.co.
  9. Web site: 第26回 日本フットボールリーグ(2024). 3 April 2024. ja. www.jfl.or.jp.
  10. Web site: チーム名・エンブレム変更のお知らせ. 3 April 2024. ja. fc.yokogawa-musashino.jp.
  11. Web site: 新チーム名決定、及び記者会見を実施致しました. 3 April 2024. ja. suzuka-un.co.jp.
  12. Web site: トップチーム新監督就任のお知らせ . 28 June 2024 . 28 June 2024 . ja. atletico-suzuka.com .
  13. Web site: 第26回 日本フットボールリーグ(2024). 3 April 2024. jfl.or.jp. ja.