2021 Japanese Regional Leagues
2021 Japanese Regional Leagues
The 2021 season of Japan’s Regional Leagues, the fifth level of the football system, was the 56th edition. It involved 144 teams across nine regional leagues.
Format and promotion: The winner of each regional league’s top division automatically earned a place in the 2021 Japanese Regional Football Champions League, along with the three best runners-up from the nine leagues (determined by JFA criteria). The Champions League was a knockout competition. The winner and the runner-up could earn promotion to the Japan Football League (JFL) or advance via a playoff against the JFL’s bottom team. Promotion decisions were made by the league boards.
Covid-19 impact: The tournament was cut short due to pandemic restrictions, with termination occurring in August–September 2021 (dates varied by region).
Kyushu note: In the Kyushu Soccer League, drawn games were decided by penalty shootouts, with shootout winners earning two points and shootout losers one point.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:21 (CET).