| Competition | Japan Football League |
|---|---|
| Season | 2012 |
| Winners | V-Varen Nagasaki 1st JFL title 1st D3 title |
| Promoted | V-Varen Nagasaki |
| Relegated | Sagawa Shiga (withdrawn) |
| League topscorer | Shunta Takahashi, Masao Tsuji (20 goals) |
| Matches | 272 |
| Total goals | 762 |
| Highest attendance | 11,658 Ryukyu vs MYFC |
| Lowest attendance | 92 Shiga vs Sony |
| Average attendance | 1,240 |
| Prevseason | 2011 |
| Nextseason | 2013 |
The 2012 Japan Football League (第14回日本フットボールリーグ, Dai Jūyon-kai Nihon Futtobōru Rīgu) was the fourteenth season of the Japan Football League, the third tier of the Japanese football league system. It has started on March 11, and finished on November 18.[1]
Clubs
The league intended to run the season in the usual 18-team format, but after the withdrawal of Arte Takasaki in January no replacement team was invited so in 2012 JFL features only 17 teams.[2]
Subsequently, only one club will be directly relegated and one take part in pro/rele playoffs to bring the number of JFL clubs back to 18.
During the season, on 23 July, Nagano Parceiro were approved as J. League associate members,[3] though they are not eligible for promotion until the completion of the renovation of their home stadium which is expected in 2016.
On 28 September 2012, J. League Organization made an announcement for club licenses for 2013, and only Nagasaki was granted conditional J2 license.
On 16 October 2012, it was reported that Sagawa Shiga F.C. had notified JFL organization about their intention of withdrawal from JFL as of the end of this season.[4] On 17 October 2012, JFL Committee has approved the request from Sagawa Shiga F.C. for its withdrawal from JFL as of the end of the season.[5]
| Club name | Home town(s) | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Blaublitz Akita | All cities/towns in Akita | |
| Honda FC | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | |
| Honda Lock | Miyazaki, Miyazaki | |
| Hoyo Oita | Ōita, Ōita | Promoted from Kyushu league in 2011 |
| Kamatamare Sanuki | All cities/towns in Kagawa | J. League associate member, not eligible for J2 promotion |
| MIO Biwako Shiga | Kusatsu, Shiga | |
| Fujieda MYFC | Fujieda, Shizuoka | Promoted from Tōkai league D1 in 2011 |
| Nagano Parceiro | Nagano, Nagano | J. League associate member (since July 23), not eligible for J2 promotion |
| SP Kyoto | Mukō, Kyoto | |
| FC Ryukyu | All cities/towns in Okinawa | |
| Sagawa Shiga | Moriyama, Shiga | |
| Sony Sendai | Tagajō, Miyagi | |
| Tochigi Uva | Tochigi, Tochigi | |
| V-Varen Nagasaki | All cities/towns in Nagasaki | J. League associate member, eligible for J2 promotion |
| Yokogawa Musashino | Musashino, Tokyo | |
| YSCC Yokohama | Yokohama, Kanagawa | Promoted from Kantō league D1 in 2011 |
| Zweigen Kanazawa | Kanazawa, Ishikawa |
Change in rules
Promotions to J. League Division 2
Relegation to regional leagues
Because of withdrawals by Arte Takasaki and Sagawa Shiga, no clubs will be relegated automatically as of the end of the season. The bottom finished (17th placed) club will play a play-off against the 3rd placed club of the 2012 Regional League promotion series.[6]
Table
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Top scorers
Updated to games played on 18 November 2012
Source: Japan Football League
Promotions and relegations after the regular season
V-Varen Nagasaki were automatically promoted to J2 while Machida Zelvia became the first ever team to be relegated from J. League, returning to the JFL after only one season.
SC Sagamihara and Fukushima United were promoted to JFL as the winner and runner-up of the Regional League promotion series, respectively. Third-placed Norbritz Hokkaido faced Tochigi Uva in a playoff series.[7] Both games were played in Tochigi to prevent snow in Hokkaido from potentially postponing an away game. After two games, the series were tied 2–2, but Tochigi Uva won the penalty shootout 4–1, retaining their spot in JFL for the 2013 season.
Playoffs with Regional Promotion Series
Tochigi Uva won the series 4–1 on penalty kicks and remained in JFL.
References
- ^ "News on the 14th JFL season opener" (in Japanese). Japan Football League. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ "ja:アルテ高崎、ＪＦＬからの退会について" [Withdrawal of Arte Takasaki from JFL] (in Japanese). Japan Football League. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ "ja:Ｊリーグ準加盟審査結果について" [About the results of J. League associate membership examination] (in Japanese). J. League. 23 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-07-26. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "佐川滋賀 JFLへ退会申し出" (in Japanese). NHK. 2012-10-16. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
- ^ "SAGAWA SHIGA FC、JFLからの大会について" [About the withdrawal of Sagawa Shiga FC from JFL] (in Japanese). Japan Football League. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ "ja:入れ替えについての変更" [Changes in league promotion/relegation] (in Japanese). Japan Football League. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
- ^ "２０１２年度ＪＦＬ入替戦について" [About 2012 JFL exchange competition] (in Japanese). Japan Football League. 2012-12-03. Retrieved 2012-12-03.