is the Japanese fifth tier of league football, which is part of the Japanese Regional Leagues. It covers the prefecture/region of Hokkaidō.
Hokkaido is the only regional league whose clubs have never been promoted. The top representative of Hokkaido in the Japanese league system, Consadole Sapporo, entered the J.League after moving from the Kanto region in 1995.
Overview The Hokkaido Soccer League is the fifth tier in the Japanese soccer structure and the block leagues below correspond to the sixth tier. There are four block leagues under the Hokkaido Soccer League, and district-based leagues are established under them. As of 2022, there are fifteen district leagues under the four main block leagues.
Eight teams from all over Hokkaido participate in the competition, and the winners participate in the Regional Football League Competition. There is relegation to the Block leagues below this level, usually the teams that finish in the bottom two places in the league standings are relegated.
Hokkaido is the only prefecture participating in this league, but it is treated as a regional league. In Hokkaido, the block league is the equivalent of the prefectural league that exists in other prefectures.
History Established in 1978, it led to the formation of a football league in every region. This year, four teams that were chosen through preliminary rounds took part, with Hakodate 76 FC (later known as Blackpecker Hakodate FC and now defunct) claiming the championship title. The following year, in 1979, the number of teams was increased to six, then to eight in 1980, and finally to ten in 1984.
In 1989 a second division was created and stayed in existence until it was disbanded in 2003 in favour of the Block League system currently in place.
From 2009 onwards, the number of teams was decreased from eight to six. Teruo Kumagai, the president of the Hokkaido Football Association at that time, mentioned that he anticipated challenging matches for survival and aimed to prevent a congested schedule. Starting in 2011, the tournament resumed with eight teams.
In 2020, due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of matches was limited to a single round-robin format, and there was no relegation from the Hokkaido league (though promotion from the block league occurred). Consequently, in 2021, ten teams competed in a round-robin format, with the 9th and 10th places facing automatic relegation, while the 7th and 8th places would compete in the block league finals.
District associations and divisions Levels mentioned are according to overall position in the Japanese football league system. Regional League(level 5) Block League(level 6) District League(level 7)JurisdictionSince 2019 From 2012 to 2018 From 2003 to 2011HokkaidoSapporoSapporoCentral HokkaidoSapporoNorthern Ishikari SubprefectureCentral and Northern HokkaidoCentral HokkaidoChitoseSouthern Ishikari SubprefectureOtaruShiribeshi SubprefectureNorthern HokkaidoSorachiSouthern Sorachi SubprefectureNorthern HokkaidoKita-SorachiNorthern Sorachi SubprefectureAsahikawaSouthern Kamikawa Subprefecture, Southern Rumoi SubprefectureDōhokuNorthern Kamikawa Subprefecture, Northern Rumoi SubprefectureSōyaSoya SubprefectureSouthern HokkaidoSouthern HokkaidoSouthern HokkaidoHakodateOshima Subprefecture, Hiyama SubprefectureMuroranWestern Iburi SubprefectureTomakomaiEastern Iburi Subprefecture, Hidaka SubprefectureEastern HokkaidoEastern HokkaidoEastern HokkaidoTokachiTokachi SubprefectureKushiroKushiro SubprefectureNemuroNemuro SubprefectureOkhotskOkhotsk Subprefecture
2026 clubs # Team Hometown Block District Notes1.Hokkaido Tokachi Sky EarthObihiro, HokkaidoEasternTokachi2.BTOP HokkaidoKuriyama, HokkaidoCentralSorachi2025 Champions3.Norbritz Hokkaido FCEbetsu, HokkaidoSapporoSapporo4.Sapporo University Goal Plunderers (ja)Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporoSapporo5.ASC Hokkaido (ja)Atsuma, HokkaidoSouthernTomakomai6.Sabas FCSapporo, HokkaidoSapporoSapporo7.Sapporo FC (ja)Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporoSapporoPromotion (1st place in Block Final)8.Hokushukai Iwamizawa (ja)Iwamizawa, HokkaidoCentral & Northern HokkaidoSorachiPromotion (2nd place in Block Final)
Hokkaido Soccer League Champions Year Winner1978Hakodate 1976 (1)1979Nippon Steel Muroran (1)1980Hakodate 1976 (2)1981Sapporo Mazda (1)1982Nippon Steel Muroran (2)1983Sapporo Mazda (2)1984Sapporo Mazda (3)1985Sapporo Shūkyū (1)1986Sapporo Shūkyū (2)1987Sapporo Mazda (4)1988Sapporo Mazda (5)1989Sapporo Mazda (6)1990Nippon Steel Muroran (3)1991Sapporo Mazda (7)1992Hokuden (1)1993Hokkaido Electric Power (2)1994Nippon Steel Muroran (4)1995Hokkaido Electric Power (3)1996Hokkaido Electric Power (4)1997Hokkaido Electric Power (5)1998Hokkaido Electric Power (6)1999Hokkaido Electric Power (7)2000Hokkaido Electric Power (8)2001Barefoot Hokkaido (1)2002Barefoot Hokkaido (2)2003Hokkaido Electric Power (9)2004Norbritz Hokkaido (10)2005Norbritz Hokkaido (11)2006Norbritz Hokkaido (12)2007Norbritz Hokkaido (13)2008Norbritz Hokkaido (14)2009Sapporo U. Goal Plunderers (1)2010Sapporo U. Goal Plunderers (2)2011Norbritz Hokkaido (15)2012Norbritz Hokkaido (16)2013Norbritz Hokkaido (17)2014Tokachi Fairsky FC (1)2015Sapporo Shūkyū (3)2016Norbritz Hokkaido (18)2017Tokachi FC (2)2018Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth (3)2019Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth (4)2020Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth (5)2021not awarded2022BTOP Hokkaido (1)2023BTOP Hokkaido (2)2024Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth (6)2025BTOP Hokkaido (3)2026
References
External links Hokkaido Football Association official website Hokkaido Senior Soccer Federation official website