Season 2013 Average attendance 1,322 Location Japan Goals scored 784 Promoted Kamatamare Sanuki | Lowest attendance 103
Printing vs Uva Start date 2013 End date November 24, 2013 Matches played 306 | |
Champions Nagano Parceiro !Nagano Parceiro
1st JFL title
1st D3 title Top goalscorer Yuji Unozawa
(20 goals) Highest attendance 10,116
F.C. Ryukyu vs Uva People also search for 2012 Japan Football League | ||
The 2013 Japan Football League is the 17th season of the third tier of the Japanese football, and the 15th season since the establishment of Japan Football League. It started on 10 March and finished on 24 November.
Contents
Clubs
Due to unfortunate withdrawal of Arte Takasaki !Arte Takasaki, the previous season has featured only 17 teams, but for 2013 the league has brought the number of teams back to 18. After having another team (Sagawa Shiga !Sagawa Shiga) ceasing its operations and withdrawing after the season, the league has welcomed into its ranks two newcomers, SC Sagamihara !SC Sagamihara and Fukushima United !Fukushima United. Both clubs are looking forward to eventual J. League promotion, with Sagamihara holding the associate membership status, and Fukushima having applied for it in 2007, though unsuccessfully.
Last season has for the first time ever featured direct exchange of teams between JFL and J. League. JFL champions and J. League associate members V-Varen Nagasaki !V-Varen Nagasaki were promoted at the expense of Machida Zelvia !Machida Zelvia, who returned to JFL after only a single season in J2.
Tochigi Uva !Tochigi Uva were on the brink of relegation, as their play-off series against Norbritz Hokkaido !Norbritz Hokkaido was tied after two rounds. It was decided in penalty shootout, which Tochigi club has won 4–1 and retained their place in the JFL.
On 26 February Blaublitz Akita !Blaublitz Akita and Zweigen Kanazawa !Zweigen Kanazawa were granted J. League associate membership status, bringing the number of such clubs to six, an all-time high mark for the league. On 20 August YSCC Yokohama !YSCC Yokohama's application was also granted by J. League, further increasing associate members count to seven. It raised again to 10 members after another J. League board session on 16 September, when applications of Fukushima United !Fukushima United, FC Ryukyu !FC Ryukyu and Fujieda MYFC !Fujieda MYFC were approved.
Change in rules
Table
Updated to games played on 8 December 2013.
Source: Japan Football League
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal differential; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head results; 5th disciplinary points; 6th draw
If two clubs are tied for first place, both clubs will be declared champions.
† Kamatamare Sanuki topped the table at the end of the 17th round and thus were awarded JFL seed for 2013 Emperor's Cup.
1 Direct promotion and pro/rele series will take place only if there will be promotion-eligible teams (shown in bold) that will claim either of two top spots in JFL.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
Updated to games played on 24 November 2013.
Source: Japan Football League: first round, second round
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.
Top scorers
Updated to games played on 24 November 2013
Source: Japan Football League
Attendances
Updated to games played on 24 November 2013
Source: Japan Football League: first round, second round
Notes:
† Team played previous season in J2
‡ Team played previous season in Regional Leagues.
J2 Promotion playoffs
After conclusion of the JFL and J2 seasons, playoffs for participation in 2014 J2 season were contested by lowest-placed J2 club Gainare Tottori !Gainare Tottori and Kamatamare Sanuki !Kamatamare Sanuki, who possess J2 license and have finished second in JFL. The playoffs took place on 1 and 8 December.
Kamatamare Sanuki won the playoffs on aggregate and were promoted to 2014 J. League Division 2. Gainare Tottori !Gainare Tottori were relegated to the newly created 2014 J3 League.
Promotion from Regional Leagues
After 10 of 18 teams were set to leave JFL for the newly created J3, the league announced that it would suffer a contraction and only 14 teams would participate in 2014. The league accommodated all winners of the Regional League promotion series and accepted applications from other Regional clubs that were willing to participate in the nationwide league.
The top three spots of the Regional League promotion series were occupied by Grulla Morioka !Grulla Morioka, Fagiano Okayama Next !Fagiano Okayama Next and FC Kagoshima respectively, and Volca Kagoshima took the last spot. However, the Morioka club has been chosen by J. League for participation in the 2014 J3 season, and both Kagoshima clubs have announced their post-season merger to Kagoshima United !Kagoshima United. On December 4 the league announced the final list of promoted teams: