All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series

The All Japan Regional Promotion League Series (全国地域サッカーリーグ決勝大会, Zenkoku Chiiki Sakkā Rīgu Kesshō Taikai) is a play-off tournament meant as a transition for Japanese football clubs competing in regional leagues to the top tier for amateur clubs, the Japan Football League.

History

Until 1976, the main entrance route for regional clubs to the Japan Soccer League was the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a cup competition. In 1977, to test clubs in a league environment before entrance to the league, the Japan Football Association devised this tournament.

In 1984 and 1985 more promotion places were added due to the JSL, expanding its divisions. In 1992 it began promoting clubs to the former JFL's second division and, from 1994 to 1998, to its single division. In 1999 and 2000 it added extra promotion places due to the formation and expansion of the new JFL.

Yamaha Motors (Júbilo Iwata) are, thus far, the only Regional Series champions to later become First Division champions. They are also the only club to retain the title, as they failed to be promoted in their first attempt due to losing a playoff series. Since 1980 every champion has been automatically promoted, exceptions being made at the champion's request in 1993 (Nippon Denso/FC Kariya) and 2002 (Ain Foods) as they lacked the resources to compete at the national level.

Qualification

Until 2009, the number of places in the tournament was 16, distributed as follows:

As of 2010, the regional league runners-up are no longer eligible and the university association is no longer allowed to make recommendations, reducing the number of places to 12.

Format

Preliminary round

The clubs are grouped in round-robin groups of 4, playing at a single city per group (no home-and-away format is followed). Only 3 matches are played per club, since the match location is the same. The winners of each group qualify for the final round.

Final round

As of 2010, the three group winners plus the highest-scoring runner-up are grouped in a final group in a single locale, with three matches played per club. The top two places are guaranteed promotion and the third place may play a promotion/relegation series against one of the three bottom JFL clubs (subject to JFL place availability).

Round-robin rules

The usual 3-1-0 system is used; however, in case of a draw, a penalty shootout is added and the winner gets one extra point.

Winners

Teams in bold were promoted.

Year Winner Runner-up Third place Also promoted
1977Yamaha MotorsToshiba Horikawa-choToho Titanium
1978Yamaha MotorsToho TitaniumDainichi Nippon Densen
1979Cosmo Oil YokkaichiKyoto Shiko ClubFurukawa Electric Chiba
1980Nagoya S.C.Furukawa Electric ChibaSaitama Teachers
1981Saitama TeachersNTT West Japan KyotoCosmo Oil Yokkaichi
1982Toho TitaniumSeino TransportationHyogo Teachers
1983Yokohama TriStarMatsushitaTeijin Matsuyama
1984Seino TransportationKyoto Police Dept.TDK S.C.Osaka Gas
1985Cosmo Oil YokkaichiKawasaki Steel MizushimaToho TitaniumNTT Kansai
1986NTT KantoMazda Auto HiroshimaToyota Machine Works
1987Teijin MatsuyamaFujieda City HallMatsushima S.C.
1988Mazda Auto HiroshimaKyoto Shiko ClubTokyo Gas
1989Yomiuri S.C. JuniorsOtsuka PharmaceuticalSeino Transportation
1990Tokyo GasChuo BohanSeino Transportation
1991Osaka GasOsaka Taidai Kemari ClubSeino Transportation
1992PJM FuturesToyota Motors HigashifujiNEC Yamagata
1993Nippon DensoNEC YamagataJatco
1994Brummell SendaiFukushima F.C.Yokogawa Denki
1995Nippon DensoOita F.C.Yokogawa Denki
1996JatcoPrima HamMazda S.C.
1997Sony Sendai F.C.Albirex NiigataYokogawa Denki
1998Yokogawa DenkiHitachi ShimizuEhime F.C.
1999Alo's HokurikuTochigi S.C.Honda Luminoso Sayama F.C.F.C. Kyoken
2000Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C.YKK AP F.C.NTT KumamotoS.C. Tottori
Ehime F.C.
2001Sagawa Express Osaka S.C.Professor MiyazakiNangoku Kochi F.C.
2002Ain FoodsSagawa Printing S.C.Shizuoka F.C.
2003Thespa KusatsuGunma F.C. HorikoshiShizuoka F.C.
2004Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima F.C.Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.Honda Lock S.C.
2005F.C. RyukyuJEF United Ichihara Chiba BRosso Kumamoto
2006TDK S.C.F.C. GifuFagiano Okayama F.C.
2007Fagiano OkayamaNew Wave KitakyushuF.C. Mi-O Biwako Kusatsu
2008Machida ZelviaV-Varen NagasakiHonda Lock
2009Matsumoto YamagaHitachi Tochigi UvaZweigen Kanazawa
2010Kamatamare SanukiNagano ParceiroSanyo Electric Sumoto
2011YSCC Yokohama Fujieda MYFC Hoyo AC Elan Oita
2012SC Sagamihara Fukushima United Norbritz Hokkaido
2013Grulla MoriokaFagiano Okayama NextFC KagoshimaVanraure Hachinohe
Azul Claro Numazu
Renofa Yamaguchi
Maruyasu Okazaki
2014Nara ClubFC OsakaClub Dragons
2015ReinMeer AomoriBriobecca UrayasuSaurcos Fukui

Wins by region

Clubs in bold compete in the J. League (any division) as of 2015 season. Clubs in italics no longer exist. A dagger (†) indicates clubs that moved away from the region after winning the title.

Region Number of titles Clubs
Kantō 12 Saitama S.C., Toho Titanium S.C., Yokohama Flügels, Omiya Ardija, Yomiuri S.C. Juniors, F.C. Tokyo, Tokyo Musashino City, Sagawa Express Tokyo, Thespa Kusatsu, Machida Zelvia, YSCC Yokohama, SC Sagamihara
Tōkai 10 Júbilo Iwata (2), Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi (2), Nagoya S.C., Seino Transportation, Tosu Futures †, FC Kariya (2), Jatco FC
Tōhoku 5 Vegalta Sendai, Sony Sendai, Blaublitz Akita, Grulla Morioka, Template:Fb team ReinMeer
Kansai 4 Osaka Gas, Sagawa Express Osaka, Ain Foods, Nara Club
Chūgoku 3 Mazda Auto Hiroshima, Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima, Fagiano Okayama
Koshin'etsu 2 ALO's Hokuriku, Matsumoto Yamaga
Shikoku 2 Teijin SC, Kamatamare Sanuki
Kyūshū 1 FC Ryukyu
Hokkaidō –

References

External links

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