>J.LEAGUE DIVISIONS ONE AND TWO
J.LEAGUE DIVISIONS ONE AND TWO
Conditions of Membership
Each club must be a registered corporation specialising in football and has to designate a particular locality as its home town. It is expected to grow as a club that takes part in community activities and promotes sport in its region. First division teams must have at least 15 players who have concluded the standard professional contract approved by the Japan Football Association (JFA), while second division teams must have at least five such players. Coaches must also possess the appropriate coaching licence approved by the JFA. Managers of top teams must possess the JFA's Grade S licence, satellite teams a Grade A licence or higher, and U-18 (youth), U-15 (junior youth) and U-12 (junior) teams a Grade B licence or higher.
Further, each club must have a Category 1 (top and satellite), Category 2 (youth = U-18), Category 3 (junior youth = U-15) and Category 4 (junior youth = U-12) team in order to foster as many promising young players as possible. The organisation of soccer schools or clinics etc. for children in the category 4 age group shall, however, be deemed sufficient. New J2 clubs without an U-18, U-15 or U-12 team must organise such teams within three years of joining the J. League. When a J2 club is promoted to J1, the conditions for J1 clubs will apply even if the J2 club has held J. League membership for less than three years.
For both J1 and J2 clubs, stadiums must possess an evergreen natural grass field with, in principle, a size of 105 metres by 68 metres. The stadiums must also have floodlights of an average 1,500 lux or more. Stadiums for J1 clubs must hold 15,000 spectators or more. Stadiums for J2 clubs must hold 10,000 spectators or more.
A Division Two club can only be promoted if it satisfies the requirements for entry to Division One. If only one club is promoted, only the bottom club in Division One goes down.
Further, each club must have a Category 1 (top and satellite), Category 2 (youth = U-18), Category 3 (junior youth = U-15) and Category 4 (junior youth = U-12) team in order to foster as many promising young players as possible. The organisation of soccer schools or clinics etc. for children in the category 4 age group shall, however, be deemed sufficient. New J2 clubs without an U-18, U-15 or U-12 team must organise such teams within three years of joining the J. League. When a J2 club is promoted to J1, the conditions for J1 clubs will apply even if the J2 club has held J. League membership for less than three years.
For both J1 and J2 clubs, stadiums must possess an evergreen natural grass field with, in principle, a size of 105 metres by 68 metres. The stadiums must also have floodlights of an average 1,500 lux or more. Stadiums for J1 clubs must hold 15,000 spectators or more. Stadiums for J2 clubs must hold 10,000 spectators or more.
A Division Two club can only be promoted if it satisfies the requirements for entry to Division One. If only one club is promoted, only the bottom club in Division One goes down.
