The was the eleventh season having a fourth-tier status in Japanese football and the 26th season since the establishment of the Japan Football League.
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.
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.
Vonds Ichihara could join Briobecca Urayasu as Chiba's representatives in the JFL, had they won the 2023 JFL play-off against Okinawa SV.
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. 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: If only the JFL champion holds a license, there will be automatic promotion/relegation with the J3's 20th-placed team. If only the JFL runner-up holds a license, there will be promotion/relegation play-offs with the J3's 20th-placed team. If both the JFL champion and runner-up hold a license, there will be automatic promotion/relegation between the JFL champions and the J3's 20th-placed team, and promotion/relegation play-offs with the J3's 19th-placed team. If neither the JFL champion nor the runner-up holds a license, no promotion/relegation between J3 and JFL will take place. In addition, the J.League stated extra requisites for promotions, with teams needing to have an average attendance of at least 2,000 in home matches, and an annual admission revenue of at least 10 million yen.
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.
Promotion and relegation between JFL and Regional Leagues The winner of the 2024 Regional Champions League (JFL promotion series) will be automatically promoted for the 2024 JFL. The 15th-placed team from the JFL will play a play-off match against the runners-up of the promotion series, with the winner earning a spot at the 2025 JFL. It will be held on 30 November or 1 December, at a stadium picked by the host team from the JFL. The 16th-placed team will be automatically relegated to their respective Regional League.
Club name changes Tokyo Musashino United FC returned to its former name Yokogawa Musashino FC, and Suzuka Point Getters became Atletico Suzuka Club.
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 Aomori, Aomori Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium20,809 JFL (5th) J3 license holdersSony Sendai Tagajō, Miyagi 10,000 JFL (4th) Briobecca Urayasu Urayasu, ChibaKashiwanoha Stadium2,100JFL (2nd) Criacao Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, TokyoAjinomoto Field Nishigaoka7,258 JFL (11th) 100 Year Plan statusJ3 license holdersYokogawa Musashino Musashino, Tokyo Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium5,188 JFL (13th) Tochigi City Tochigi, TochigiCity Football Station5,085 JRCL (1st) J3 license holdersHonda FC Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium2,506 JFL (1st) Maruyasu Okazaki Okazaki, Aichi 5,000 JFL (8th) Atletico Suzuka Suzuka, Mie 1,450 JFL (9th) Veertien Mie All cities/towns in Mie 5,077 JFL (10th) J3 license holdersTiamo Hirakata Hirakata, Osaka 2,500 JFL (12th) Reilac Shiga Kusatsu, Shiga 15,000 JFL (3rd) 100 Year Plan status applicantsJ3 license holdersKochi United Kōchi, Kōchi Kōchi Haruno Athletic Stadium25,000 JFL (7th) J3 license holdersVerspah Oita Yufu, Beppu & Ōita, Ōita 4,700 JFL (6th) J3 license holdersMinebea Mitsumi Miyazaki, Miyazaki Hinata Athletic Stadium20,000 JFL (14th) Okinawa SV All cities/towns in OkinawaTapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium10,189JFL (15th)
Personnel and kits Club Manager Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsorReinMeer Aomori Kei Shibata UmbroTowaSony Sendai Jun Suzuki AdidasSonyBriobecca Urayasu Satoshi Tsunami soccer junkyUrataCriacao Shinjuku Hideaki Kitajima Mitsubishi FashionAssetleadYokogawa Musashino Toshiyuki Ikegami PumaYokogawa ElectricTochigi City Naoki Imaya LuxperiorNippon RikaHonda FC Hidekazu Kobayashi UmbroHondaMaruyasu Okazaki Hiroyasu Ibata AthletaMaruyasuAtletico Suzuka Park Kang-jo AthletaTopiaVeertien Mie Shuichi Mase SfidaCosmo OilTiamo Hirakata Takahiro Futagawa JogarbolaIzawa TowelReilac Shiga Makoto Kakuda DEZRei BeautyDermatology ClinicKochi United Takafumi Yoshimoto AthletaNoneVerspah Oita Takashi Yamahashi YasudaHoyo GroupMinebea Mitsumi Yosuke Miyaji UmbroMinebeaMitsumiOkinawa SV Rei Onogi XFNescafé
Managerial changes Team Outgoing Exit date Position in table Incoming Incoming dateAnnounced on Departed on Announced on Arrived onAtletico Suzuka Noboru SaitoRole change30 June 202410th Park Kang-jo1 July 2024Reilac Shiga Kikuchi ToshizoSacked15 July 20249th Hiroki Asuma (Interim)21 July 2024Reilac Shiga Hiroki Asuma (Interim)Appointment of permanent coach31 July 20249th Makoto Kakuda31 July 2024Yokogawa Musashino Toshihori IshimuraAppointment of new head coach12 September 202415th Toshiyuki Ikegami12 September 2024
Foreign players ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Former players ReinMeer Aomori Arthur Bessa Luiz Fernando Vinícius Han Yong-gi Eduardo Sony Sendai Briobecca Urayasu Criacao Shinjuku Hwang Song-su Yokogawa Musashino Tochigi City Carlos Eduardo Pedro Henrique Honda FC Maruyasu Okazaki Talla Ndao Atletico Suzuka Diego Washington Mohammed Lamine Choi Se-yun Veertien Mie Kim Song-sun Ryang Hyon-ju Tiamo Hirakata Felipe Baessa Willian Emeka Basil Park Kwang-gyu Reilac Shiga Frank Romero Kochi United Park Jong-seok Verspah Oita Minebea Mitsumi Okinawa SV
League table
J3/JFL Play-offs The play-offs, officially called the 2024 J3/JFL Play-offs (), took place on 1 and 7 December 2024. If the two teams were equal on the scoreboard, the match would go to extra time and penalties. Away goals rule would not be applied.
Overview
Matches
Kochi United SC won the J3/JFL play-offs on aggregate 3-1 and got promoted to J3, while YSCC Yokohama lost the play-offs and got relegated to JFL.
JFL/Regional Leagues promotion/relegation playoff The play-off () took place on 1 December 2024.
Minebea Mitsumi stayed in the JFL; Vonds Ichihara stayed in the Kantō Soccer League Division 1.
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Kakeru AotoOkinawa SV 15 2 Takuya HitomiAtletico Suzuka 14 3 Atsushi YoshidaTochigi City 12 4 Shota TamuraVeertien Mie 11 5 Arthur BessaReinMeer Aomori 10 Hayato MineBriobecca Urayasu Takumi FujiwaraTochigi City
See also National association Japan Football Association (JFA) League Japanese association football league system J.League 2024 J1 League 2024 J2 League 2024 J3 League 2024 Regional Champions League (JFL promotion/relegation play-offs) 2024 Regional Leagues (fifth/sixth tier) Cup 2024 FUJIFILM Super Cup (Super Cup) 2024 Emperor's Cup (national open cup) 2024 J.League YBC Levain Cup (League Cup)
Footnotes
References
External links Official website