L. League
Encyclopedia
The L. League is the top flight of women's association football in Japan
. It is the women's equivalent of the J. League
, but not professional. However, some individual players are professional.
The league conssists of two divisions: division 1 has the nickname and division 2 . Since 2008 it has been sponsored by Plenus, a food company based in Fukuoka
, and are thus billed as Plenus Nadeshiko League and Plenus Challenge League.
system, similar to the J. League system of the era. From 2000 to 2003 the clubs were divided into East and West groups and then the top clubs of each would go into a championship group, with the bottom clubs in a relegation group. In 2004 the single-table format was brought back.
Players from the 8 L-League teams would host an annual training camp to build skills and relationships between L-League and international women's football clubs, including US and Australian teams.
Since the 2004 season, the L. League has 2 divisions - Division 1, with 8 clubs, and Division 2 with 8 clubs in the 2006 season. Until 2009 the league operated on the same way as the old Japan Soccer League
for men, the bottom club in the second division playing off against a regional league playoff winner.
Starting off with the 2010 season, the second division is divided into a east and west group of six teams each. The winners of each group are promoted.
s with the All Japan Women's Football Championship
.
Yomiuri Beleza was renamed to NTV Beleza in 1999 and to Tokyo Verdy Beleza in 2011, when the Yomiuri Group sold its stake. Saitama Reinas were absorbed by Urawa Red Diamonds
in 2005.
Note: TEPCO Mareeze, from Naraha, Fukushima
and competing since 2000, was suspended and later disbanded in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is the women's equivalent of the J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
, but not professional. However, some individual players are professional.
The league conssists of two divisions: division 1 has the nickname and division 2 . Since 2008 it has been sponsored by Plenus, a food company based in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, and are thus billed as Plenus Nadeshiko League and Plenus Challenge League.
History
L-League began in 1989. From 1993 to 1999 it adopted an Apertura and ClausuraApertura and Clausura
The Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...
system, similar to the J. League system of the era. From 2000 to 2003 the clubs were divided into East and West groups and then the top clubs of each would go into a championship group, with the bottom clubs in a relegation group. In 2004 the single-table format was brought back.
Players from the 8 L-League teams would host an annual training camp to build skills and relationships between L-League and international women's football clubs, including US and Australian teams.
Since the 2004 season, the L. League has 2 divisions - Division 1, with 8 clubs, and Division 2 with 8 clubs in the 2006 season. Until 2009 the league operated on the same way as the old Japan Soccer League
Japan Soccer League
, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...
for men, the bottom club in the second division playing off against a regional league playoff winner.
Starting off with the 2010 season, the second division is divided into a east and west group of six teams each. The winners of each group are promoted.
League structure
The L-League consists of two levels.Level |
League(s)/Division(s) |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
L1 10 clubs |
|||||||||||||||
2 |
L2 (Group East) 6 clubs |
L2 (Group West) 6 clubs |
||||||||||||||
First Division Champions
Bold indicate doubleThe Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
s with the All Japan Women's Football Championship
All Japan Women's Football Championship
, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be considered the female counterpart to the men's Emperor's Cup.The final has been played on New Year's Day of the following year at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo and is regarded as the traditional closing...
.
Yomiuri Beleza was renamed to NTV Beleza in 1999 and to Tokyo Verdy Beleza in 2011, when the Yomiuri Group sold its stake. Saitama Reinas were absorbed by Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Red Diamonds
are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...
in 2005.
Second Division Champions
- 2004 Okayama Yunogo Belle
- 2005 INAC Kobe Leonessa
- 2006 Albirex Niigata Ladies
- 2007 TEPCO Mareeze
- 2008 JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies
- 2009 AS Elfen Sayama
- 2010 Tokiwagi Gakuen (East, not promoted); Speranza Takatsuki (West, not promoted)
- 2011 Tokiwagi Gakuen (East); Kibi International University (West)
Division 1
- Urawa Red Diamonds LadiesUrawa Red Diamonds Ladiesis a women's football club playing in Japan's football league, L. League. Its hometown is the city of Saitama in Saitama Prefecture.-Transition of team name:*Urawa Reinas F.C. : 1999 - 2001*Saitama Reinas F.C. : 2002 - 2004...
, Saitama, SaitamaSaitama, Saitama' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, 1999 - - AS elfen Sayama F.C., Sayama, SaitamaSayama, Saitama, formerly known as Irumagawa, is a city located in Saitama, Japan. Sayama translates as "sitting on a mountain”. The city was founded on July 1, 1954....
, 2002 - (promoted from Div. 2) - JEF United Chiba Ladies, Chiba, ChibaChiba, Chibais the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, 2000 - - NTV BelezaNTV Beleza, is a women's football team which plays in Division 1 of Japan's L. League.-Domestic Competitions:*L. League Division 1**Champions : 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010...
, Inagi, TokyoInagi, Tokyois a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 81,134 and the density of 4,096.33 persons per km². The total area is 17.97 km².The city was founded on November 1, 1971.-History:...
, 1989 - - Albirex Niigata Ladies, Seiro, NiigataSeiro, Niigatais a town located in Kitakanbara District, Niigata, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 13,474 and a density of 354.67 persons per km². The total area is 37.99 km².-External links:*...
, 2004 - - INAC Kobe Leonessa, Kobe, Hyogo, 2005 -
- Yunogo Belle, Mimasaka, OkayamaMimasaka, Okayamais a city located in Okayama, Japan.It is the result of a merger involving the former town of the same name. The merger took place on March 31, 2005 when the town of Katsuta from Katsuta District, the towns of Aida, Ōhara and Sakutō, and the village Higashiawakura, all from Aida District, were...
, 2003 - - Iga F.C. Kunoichi, Iga, MieIga, Miewas a town located in Ayama District, Mie Prefecture, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Iga absorbed the old city of Ueno, the towns of Ayama, the villages of Ōyamada and Shimagahara, all from Ayama District, and the town of Aoyama, from Naga District, to become the new city of Iga.-Geography:Located on...
, 1989 - (promoted from Div. 2) - Fukuoka J. Anclas, Kasuga, FukuokaKasuga, Fukuokais a city located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 107,604 and the density of 7,600 persons per km². The total area is 14.15 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1972. It is directly south of Fukuoka City, and west of Onojo. It also has a border with Nakagawa...
, 2006 - (promoted from Div. 2)
Note: TEPCO Mareeze, from Naraha, Fukushima
Naraha, Fukushima
is a town located in Futaba District, Fukushima, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,230 and a density of 79.56 persons per km². The total area is 103.45 km²....
and competing since 2000, was suspended and later disbanded in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
.
East Zone
- Norddea Hokkaido, Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporo, Hokkaidois the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....
, 2010 - - Tokiwaki Gakuen High School, Sendai, MiyagiSendai, Miyagiis the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
, 2010 - - JFA Academy Fukushima, Naraha, FukushimaNaraha, Fukushimais a town located in Futaba District, Fukushima, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,230 and a density of 79.56 persons per km². The total area is 103.45 km²....
, 2010 - - Nippon Sport Science UniversityNippon Sport Science Universityis a private university with campuses in Setagaya, Tokyo and Aoba-ku, Yokohama. The precursor of the school was founded 1893, and it was chartered as a university in 1949...
, YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, 1999, 2010 - - A.C. Nagano Parceiro LadiesA.C. Nagano ParceiroAthletic Club Nagano Parceiro is a Japanese football club from Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. The club name parceiro means "partner" in Portuguese....
, Nagano, NaganoNagano, Nagano, the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers, on the main Japanese island of Honshū.As of April 1, 2011 the city has a population of 387,146...
, 2003 - - Setagaya Sfida F.C., Setagaya, TokyoSetagaya, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood within the ward. The ward calls itself the City of Setagaya in English...
, 2011 -
West Zone
- Shizuoka Sangyo UniversityShizuoka Sangyo Universityis a private university in Iwata city, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, established in 1988.-Location:*Campus Iwata *Campus Fujieda -Faculty of Business:*School of Management...
Iwata Bonita, Iwata, ShizuokaIwata, Shizuokais a city located in Shizuoka, Japan and is known for being the headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Corporation. Iwata is also home to Júbilo Iwata, a J. League soccer team, as well as Yamaha Jubilo, a rugby team. The population was 170,779 as of March 1, 2010...
, 2010 - - Bunnys Kyoto F.C., Kyoto, Kyoto, 1991 -
- Speranza F.C., Takatsuki, OsakaTakatsuki, Osakais a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 353,881 and the density of 3,360 persons per km². The total area is 105.31 km².The city was founded on January 1, 1943 and is located almost directly between Kyoto and Osaka...
, 1991 - (promoted from Div. 1 by promotion/relegation series) - Aguilas Kobe, KobeKobe, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, 2010 - - Kibi International UniversityKibi International Universityis a private university in Takahashi, Okayama, Japan, established in 1990.-External links:*...
, Takahashi, OkayamaTakahashi, Okayamais a city located in Okayama, Japan.As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 34,119, with a household number of 13,990 and the density of 62.37 persons per km². The total area is 547.01 km².The city was founded on May 1, 1954....
, 2011 - - Je Vrille Kagoshima Kagoshima, KagoshimaKagoshima, Kagoshimais the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin...
, 2008 -
Past participating
- Fujita Soccer Club Mercury (affiliated with Shonan BellmareShonan Bellmareare a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...
) - Nikko Securities Dream Ladies
- Nippon Sport Science University
- Nissan F.C. Ladies (affiliated with Yokohama Marinos)
- OKI F.C. Winds
- Renaissance Kumamoto Ladies F.C.
- Shimizu Daihachi Pleiades F.C.
- Shiroki F.C. Serena
- Suzuyo Shimizu F.C. Lovely Ladies (affiliated with Shimizu S-PulseShimizu S-Pulseis a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...
) - Tasaki Perule F.C.
- TEPCO Mareeze F.C.
- Tokyo SHiDAX L.S.C. (ex Shinko Seiko F.C. Clair)
- Urawa Ladies F.C.
See also
- L. League Cup
- All-Japan Women's Football Championship
- Japan and South Korea Women's League ChampionshipJapan and South Korea Women's League ChampionshipJapan and South Korea Women’s League Championship is a women's association football competition between the clubs of Nadeshiko League winners and WK-League winners.-History:...