F.League
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (November 2013) |
 | |
| Founded | 2007; 12 years ago |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | All Japan Futsal Championship F.League Ocean Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Futsal Club Championship |
| Current champions | Nagoya Oceans (2019–20) |
| Most championships | Nagoya Oceans (12 titles) |
| Website | www.fleague.jp |
The F. League (in Japanese: "F・リーグ", Officially "日本フットサルリーグ",Nihon Futtosaru Rīgu) is the top league for Futsal in Japan. The winning team obtains the participation right to the AFC Futsal Club Championship.[1]
History
The league was formed in 2007 as a complement for the elimination tournament, (the current Puma Cup) which groups regional futsal champions into a final elimination phase.[2]
The league operates on the sports franchise system, with no promotion or relegation of clubs. The clubs are thus expansion teams. In 2009 the number of clubs was increased from 8 to 10 with the addition of Fuchu Athletic and Espolada Hokkaido.
In F. League play, the clubs battle each other three times: once at home, once away and once in a neutral venue (generally Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo). The season runs from August to February.
An elimination league cup, the Ocean Cup is played every season by the 12 F.League teams.
Teams
Teams playing the F. League 2019–20 season.
Division 1
| Team | City/Area | Main Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bardral Urayasu | Urayasu, Chiba | Urayasu General Gymnasium | 1998 |
| Pescadola Machida | Machida, Tokyo | Machida Municipal General Gymnasium | 1999 |
| Fuchu Athletic F.C. | Fuchū, Tokyo | Fuchu Sports Center | 2000 |
| Fugador Sumida | Sumida, Tokyo | Sumida City Gymnasium | 2001 |
| Boaluz Nagano | Nagano, Nagano | White Ring | 2018 |
| Shriker Osaka | Osaka, Osaka | Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium | 2002 |
| Vasagey Oita | Oita, Oita | Oozu Sports Park | 2003 |
| Nagoya Oceans | Nagoya, Aichi | Takeda Teva Ocean Arena | 2006 |
| Shonan Bellmare | Hiratsuka, Kanagawa | Odawara Arena | 2007 |
| Espolada Hokkaido | Sapporo, Hokkaido | Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center | 2008 |
| Voscuore Sendai | Sendai, Miyagi | Sendai Gymnasium | 2012 |
| F.League selection | Nagoya, Aichi | Takeda Teva Ocean Arena | 2018 |
Division 2
| Team | City/Area | Main Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toruela Kashiwa | Kashiwa, Chiba | Kashiwa City Central Gymnasium | 2018 |
| Y.S.C.C. Yokohama | Yokohama, Kanagawa | Yokohama City Hiranuma Memorial Gymnasium | 2018 |
| Vincedor Hakusan | Hakusan, Ishikawa | Matto General Sports Park Gymnasium | 2018 |
| Agleymina Hamamatsu | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | Hamamatsu Arena | 1996 |
| Deução Kobe | Kobe, Hyogo | Kobe Green Arena | 2007 |
| Hiroshima F DO | Hiroshima, Hiroshima | Hiroshima City Asakita-ku Sports Center | 2018 |
| Porseid Hamada | Hamada, Shimane | Shimane Prefectural Gymnasium | 2018 |
| Borkbullet Kitakyushu | Kitakyushu, Fukuoka | Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium | 2018 |
Statistics
Champions
| Seasons | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Nagoya Oceans | Bardral Urayasu | Deução Kobe |
| 2008–09 | Nagoya Oceans | Bardral Urayasu | Deução Kobe |
| 2009–10 | Nagoya Oceans | Pescadola Machida | Shriker Osaka |
| 2010–11 | Nagoya Oceans | Deução Kobe | Vasagey Oita |
| 2011–12 | Nagoya Oceans | Shriker Osaka | Deução Kobe |
| 2012–13 | Nagoya Oceans | Shriker Osaka | Fuchu Athletic |
| 2013–14 | Nagoya Oceans | Shriker Osaka | Vasagey Oita |
| 2014–15 | Nagoya Oceans | Shriker Osaka | Bardral Urayasu |
| 2015–16 | Nagoya Oceans | Fuchu Athletic | Shriker Osaka |
| 2016–17 | Shriker Osaka | Pescadola Machida | Nagoya Oceans |
| 2017–18 | Nagoya Oceans | Pescadola Machida | Shonan Bellmare |
| 2018–19 | Nagoya Oceans | Shriker Osaka | Tachikawa Fuchu Athletic |
| 2019–20 | Nagoya Oceans | Vasagey Oita | Fugador Sumida |
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
| Seasons | Player |
|---|---|
| 2007-08 |  Kaoru Morioka (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2008-09 | Wataru Kitahara (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2009-10 |  Higor Pires (Shriker Osaka)
|
| 2010-11 |  Ricardinho (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2011-12 | Kaoru Morioka (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2012-13 | Ricardinho (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2013-14 | Kaoru Morioka (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2014-15 | Kaoru Morioka (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2015-16 | Vinicius Crepaldi (Shriker Osaka)
|
| 2016-17 | Nobuya Osodo (Shriker Osaka)
|
| 2017-18 | Rafa (Nagoya Oceans)
|
| 2018-19 | Tomoki Yoshikawa (Nagoya Oceans)
|
See also
References
- ^ ARITA, KENICHI (18 May 2012). "F.League hopes World Cup will boost sport's popularity". asahi.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ "Futsal league ready for the off". fifa.com. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
| Competitions | |
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| National teams | |
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