2024 J3 League

The 2024 J3 League, also known as the 2024 Meiji Yasuda J3 League (Japanese: 2024 明治安田J3リーグ, Hepburn: 2024 Meiji Yasuda J3 Rīgu) for sponsorship reasons, is the 11th season of the J3 League, the third-tier Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2013.

J3 League
Season2024
Dates24 February – 24 November
Matches played150
Goals scored360 (2.4 per match)
Top goalscorerHaruto Shirai (10 goals)
Biggest home winFukushima United FC 9-0 Iwate Grulla Morioka (28 April 2024)
Biggest away winZweigen Kanazawa 2–6 FC Osaka (9 March 2024)
Highest scoringFukushima United FC 9-0 Iwate Grulla Morioka (28 April 2024)
Highest attendance10,928
Omiya Ardija 0–2 Matsumoto Yamaga
(6 May)[1]
Lowest attendance515
Iwate Grulla Morioka 2–1 Nara Club
(10 April)[1]
Total attendance434,122[2]
Average attendance2,894[2]
← 2023
2025 →
All statistics correct as of 22:24, 4 June 2024 (UTC).

Overview

The league will continue with 20 teams for the 2024 season.

The top two teams in the league will be automatically promoted to the J2 League, provided they have the necessary license. The 2024 season introduces a promotion play-offs, where one of the teams ranked 3rd to 6th will also be promoted.

There is the possibility that as many as two clubs will be relegated to the Japan Football League. Promotion from the JFL is conditional on holding a valid J3 license. If the JFL champions hold a license, the club will be automatically promoted and the J3's 20th-placed team will be automatically relegated. If the JFL runners-up hold a license, the club will need to play promotion/relegation play-offs against J3's 19th or 20th-placed team for the season, depending on whether the JFL champions hold the J3 license. The club(s) who do not hold a license cannot be promoted and no teams will be relegated from the J3 League.[3]

Schedule

The league and match format was announced on 19 December 2023. The league will begin on 23 February and end on 10 November in a round-robin format of 38 matches.[3]

The J3 promotion play-offs will be held in a similar manner to the J2 playoffs, with the semi-finals on 1 December with the final taking place on 7 December.[4]

Changes from the previous season

Zweigen Kanazawa and Omiya Ardija were relegated to the J3 League, finishing the previous J2 League season as 21st and 22nd-placed teams, respectively. Zweigen Kanazawa are returning to the J3 League after nine seasons in the second-tier. Omiya Ardija will be competing in the third-tier for the first time as a J.League member.

No teams were relegated from the 2023 J3 League. This is only the second time in J3 history that there will be no new clubs promoted from the JFL.

J3 winners Ehime FC and runners-up Kagoshima United were both promoted from the 2023 season.

Clubs
Locations of the 2024 J3 League teams
Club name Home town Stadium Capacity Last season Licence
Azul Claro Numazu Numazu Ashitaka Stadium 5,104 J3 (13th) J2
Fukushima United Fukushima Toho Stadium 21,000 J3 (15th) J1
Gainare Tottori All cities/towns in Tottori[lower-alpha 1] Axis Bird Stadium 16,033 J3 (6th) J2
FC Gifu All cities/towns in Gifu[lower-alpha 2] Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium 26,109 J3 (8th) J1
Giravanz Kitakyushu Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu 15,066 J3 (20th) J1
FC Imabari Imabari Imabari Satoyama Stadium 5,316 J3 (4th) J2
Iwate Grulla Morioka All cities/towns in Iwate Iwagin Stadium & Kitakami Stadium 4,946 J3 (10th) J1
Kamatamare Sanuki All cities/towns in Kagawa[lower-alpha 3] Pikara Stadium 30,099 J3 (16th) J1
Kataller Toyama All cities/towns in Toyama[lower-alpha 4] Toyama Athletic Stadium 28,494 J3 (3rd) J1
Matsumoto Yamaga Cities/towns in Nagano[lower-alpha 5] Sunpro Alwin 20,396 J3 (9th) J1
Nagano Parceiro Nagano Nagano U Stadium 15,491 J3 (14th) J2
Nara Club All cities/towns on Nara Rohto Field Nara 30,600 J3 (5th) J2
Omiya Ardija Saitama, Saitama NACK5 Stadium Omiya 15,500 J2 (21st; Relegated) J1
FC Osaka Higashiōsaka, Osaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium 27,346 J3 (11th) J3
FC Ryukyu All cities/towns in Okinawa Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 12,270 J3 (17th) J1
SC Sagamihara Sagamihara Gion Stadium 15,300 J3 (18th) J2
Tegevajaro Miyazaki Miyazaki & Shintomi, Miyazaki Unilever Stadium Shintomi 5,357 J3 (19th) J2
Vanraure Hachinohe Eastern cities/towns in Aomori[lower-alpha 6] Prifoods Stadium 5,200 J3 (7th) J2
YSCC Yokohama Yokohama Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium 15,454 J3 (12th) J2
Zweigen Kanazawa All cities/towns in Ishikawa[lower-alpha 7] Ishikawa Kanazawa Stadium 20,000 J2 (22nd; Relegated) J1
  1. centering on Tottori, Yonago, Kurayoshi, Sakaiminato
  2. centering on Gifu
  3. centering on Takamatsu, Marugame
  4. centering on Toyama
  5. Matsumoto, Azumino, Yamagata, Shiojiri, Omachi, Ikeda, Ikusaka, Minowa, Asahi
  6. Hachinohe, Towada, Gonohe, Sannohe, Takko, Hashikami, Nanbu, Shingo, Oirase, Misawa, Shichinohe, Rokunohe, Tohoku, Noheji, Yokohama, Rokkasho
  7. centering on Kanazawa, Nonoichi, Kahoku, Tsubata, Tsubata

Personnel and kits
ClubManagerCaptainKit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor
Azul Claro Numazu Masashi Nakayama Takuya Sugai Penalty Usui
Fukushima United Shuhei Terada Kaito Yamamoto Hummel Toho Bank
Gainare Tottori Kentaro Hayashi Hiroto Sese Soccer Junky San-in Godo Bank
FC Gifu Yusaku Ueno Yoshihiro Shoji Razzoli Hot Staff
Giravanz Kitakyushu Kohei Masumoto Haruki Izawa Umbro TOTO
FC Imabari Toshihiro Hattori Keishi Kusumi Asics Unicharm
Iwate Grulla Morioka Takuya Jinno Atsutaka Nakamura Kelme Nova
Kamatamare Sanuki Atsushi Yoneyama Angua Rexxam
Kataller Toyama Michiharu Otagiri Kosei Wakimoto Goldwin YKK AP
Matsumoto Yamaga Masahiro Shimoda Akira Ando Adidas Epson
Nagano Parceiro Riki Takagi Takuya Akiyama Penalty Hokto
Nara Club Julián Marín Bazalo Yuki Kotani Squadra Daiwa House
Omiya Ardija Tetsu Nagasawa Yutaro Hakamata Under Armour NTT Docomo
FC Osaka Naoto Otake Shusuke Sakamoto bonera Tobu Top Tours
FC Ryukyu Kim Jong-song Ryunosuke Noda sfida GMO Coin
SC Sagamihara Kazuyuki Toda Akihiko Takeshige Umbro Gion
Tegevajaro Miyazaki Yuji Okuma Hikaru Manabe Yonex Enatsu Shoji Holdings
Vanraure Hachinohe Nobuhiro Ishizaki Naoyuki Yamada Hummel ATMIX
YSCC Yokohama Kazuki Kuranuki Kento Dodate Bonera Sanshin
Zweigen Kanazawa Akira Ito Yuto Shirai Hummel 12

    Managerial changes
    Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in the table Incoming manager Date of
    appointment    		 Ref.
    Zweigen Kanazawa Masaaki Yanagishita End of contract 5 November 2023 Pre-season Akira Ito 11 December 2023 [5][6]
    Giravanz Kitakyushu Shinji Kobayashi Resigned 22 November 2023 Kohei Matsumoto 15 December 2023 [7][8]
    Gainare Tottori Kohei Matsumoto (interim) End of interim spell 24 November 2023 Kentaro Hayashi 8 December 2023 [9][10]
    Fukushima United Mitsumasa Yoda Resigned 27 November 2023 Shuhei Terada 13 December 2023 [11][12]
    FC Osaka Ryo Shigaki Signed by Renofa Yamaguchi 5 December 2023 Naoto Otake 18 December 2023 [13][14]
    Tegevajaro Miyazaki Mitsuo Kato Resigned 5 December 2023 Yuji Okuma 19 December 2023 [15][16]
    Omiya Ardija Masato Harasaki 9 November 2023 Tetsu Nagasawa 11 December 2023 [17][18]
    FC Imabari Naoto Kudo 10 December 2023 Toshihiro Hattori 11 December 2023 [19][20]
    Iwate Grulla Morioka Tetsuji Nakamikawa Management restructure 8 May 2024 20th Takuya Jinno 8 May 2024 [21]

    Foreign players

    From the 2021 season onwards, there is no limitations on signing foreign players, but clubs could only register up to five of them for a single matchday squad.[22] Players from J.League partner nations (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Qatar) were exempted from these restrictions.

    • Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the summer transfer window.
    • Player's name in italics indicates the player has Japanese nationality in addition to their FIFA nationality, holds the nationality of a J.League partner nation, or is exempt from being treated as a foreign player due to having been born in Japan and being enrolled in, or having graduated from an approved type of school in the country.[23]
    Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Left mid-season
    Azul Claro Numazu Gustavo Rissi
    Fukushima United
    Gainare Tottori
    FC Gifu Mun In-ju
    Giravanz Kitakyushu Koh Seung-jin
    FC Imabari Tomás Moschión Marcus Índio Rodrigo Angelotti Ning Fangze Jon Ander Serantes
    Iwate Grulla Morioka Kenneth Otabor Ryu Se-gun Kim Sung-kon
    Kamatamare Sanuki
    Kataller Toyama Gabriel Nascimento Matheus Leiria
    Matsumoto Yamaga Víctor Ibáñez
    Nagano Parceiro Ryu Nugraha Kim Min-ho Lee Seung-won Park Soo-bin
    Nara Club Marc Vito Kiadtiphon Udom Patrik Gustavsson
    Omiya Ardija Arthur Silva Jakub Świerczok
    FC Osaka Efrain Rintaro Choi Young-hoon Kang Seong-kook Woo Sang-ho
    FC Ryukyu Cho Eun-su Jeon Ji-wan Park Seong-su
    SC Sagamihara Baiano Bruno Santos Ryan
    Tegevajaro Miyazaki
    Vanraure Hachinohe Oriola Sunday
    YSCC Yokohama Luqman Hakim Shamsudin Onye Ogochukwu
    Zweigen Kanazawa Jefferson Baiano Marlyson Baek In-hwan

    League table
    Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
    1 Omiya Ardija 18 13 4 1 35 13 +22 43 Promotion to the 2025 J2 League
    2 Azul Claro Numazu 18 9 4 5 30 18 +12 31
    3 Fukushima United 18 9 2 7 28 18 +10 29 Qualification for the promotion play-offs
    4 FC Osaka[lower-alpha 1] 18 7 7 4 18 12 +6 28 Ineligible for promotion
    5 SC Sagamihara 18 7 7 4 20 15 +5 28 Qualification for the promotion play-offs
    6 Zweigen Kanazawa 18 7 6 5 31 28 +3 27
    7 FC Ryukyu 18 7 6 5 26 24 +2 27
    8 FC Imabari 18 8 3 7 20 21 −1 27
    9 Matsumoto Yamaga 18 7 5 6 30 25 +5 26
    10 FC Gifu 18 7 5 6 29 26 +3 26
    11 Kataller Toyama 17 6 7 4 18 16 +2 25
    12 Giravanz Kitakyushu 18 5 8 5 15 14 +1 23
    13 Nagano Parceiro 18 6 5 7 32 32 0 23
    14 Vanraure Hachinohe 18 4 8 6 15 18 −3 20
    15 Nara Club 18 4 7 7 21 27 −6 19
    16 YSCC Yokohama 18 4 5 9 12 23 −11 17
    17 Gainare Tottori 18 4 5 9 17 32 −15 17
    18 Tegevajaro Miyazaki 18 3 7 8 19 25 −6 16
    19 Kamatamare Sanuki 18 2 9 7 16 23 −7 15 Possible relegation via play-offs
    20 Iwate Grulla Morioka 17 3 4 10 14 36 −22 13 Possible relegation to 2025 JFL[lower-alpha 2]
    Updated to match(es) played on 23 June 2024. Source: Meiji Yasuda J3 League, J.League Data Site
    Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head goal scored; 7) Fair-play points.
    Notes:
    1. The team does not hold either a J1 or J2 license, and so is ineligible for promotion to the J2 League.
    2. Promotion from the JFL is conditional on holding a valid J3 license. If the JFL champions hold a license, the club will be automatically promoted and the J3's 20th-placed team will be automatically relegated. If the JFL runners-up hold a license, the club will need to play promotion/relegation play-offs against J3's 19th or 20th-placed team for the season, depending on whether the JFL champions hold the J3 license. The club(s) who do not hold a license cannot be promoted.

    Season statistics

    Top scorers
    As of 2 June 2024[24]
    Rank Player Club Goals
    1 Haruto Shirai FC Ryukyu 10
    2 Kensei Ukita AC Nagano Parceiro 9
    3 Hagumi Wada Azul Claro Numazu 8
    Kosuke Fujioka FC Gifu
    5 Keigo Hashimoto Tegevajaro Miyazaki 7
    Yuya Taguchi FC Gifu
    7 Kenyu Sugimoto Omiya Ardija 6
    Hayato Asakawa Matsumoto Yamaga
    Marcus Índio FC Imabari

    Awards

    Monthly awards
    Month Manager of the Month Monthly MVP Goal of the Month Young Player of the Month References
    ManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubPlayerClub
    February/March Yusaku Ueno FC Gifu Kosuke Fujioka FC Gifu Yumeki Yokoyama FC Imabari Rion Ichihara Omiya Ardija [25][26][27][28]
    April Tetsu Nagasawa Omiya Ardija Hagumi Wada Azul Claro Numazu Genta Ito FC Imabari Yuto Ozeki Fukushima United [29][30][31][32]
    May Shuhei Terada Fukushima United Yu Tomidokoro FC Ryukyu Yu Tomidokoro FC Ryukyu Yuki Kajiura Zweigen Kanazawa [33][34][35][36]

    See also

    References
    1. "入場者数一覧". data.j-league.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 May 2024.
    2. "２０２４明治安田Ｊ３リーグ". data.j-league.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 May 2024.
    3. "２０２４明治安田Ｊ３リーグ 大会方式および試合方式について：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
    4. "２０２４Ｊ２昇格プレーオフ 大会方式および試合方式について：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
    5. "柳下正明監督 契約満了のお知らせ｜ツエーゲン金沢 公式サイト". ツエーゲン金沢 公式サイト｜挑戦を、この街の伝統に。 (in Japanese). 5 November 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    6. "伊藤彰氏 監督就任のお知らせ｜ツエーゲン金沢 公式サイト". ツエーゲン金沢 公式サイト｜挑戦を、この街の伝統に。 (in Japanese). 11 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
    7. "【北九州】小林伸二監督兼スポーツダイレクター今季限りで退任 Ｊ３最下位確定でJFL降格圏 - Ｊ３ : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). 22 November 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    8. "増本 浩平氏 監督就任のお知らせ". ギラヴァンツ北九州 オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). 15 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
    9. "増本 浩平監督 契約満了のお知らせ". ガイナーレ鳥取 オフィシャルサイト. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    10. "林 健太郎氏 監督就任のお知らせ". ガイナーレ鳥取 オフィシャルサイト. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
    11. "依田監督の退任を発表【福島】：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). 27 November 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    12. "寺田 周平 監督就任のお知らせ". 福島ユナイテッドFC 公式サイト｜FUKUSHIMA UNITED FC OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). 13 December 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
    13. "志垣 良 氏 レノファ山口FC トップチーム 監督就任のお知らせ | レノファ山口FC". RENOFA YAMAGUCHI FC (in Japanese). 5 December 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    14. "大嶽直人氏 トップチーム監督 就任のお知らせ". FC大阪 (in Japanese). 18 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
    15. "加藤 光男 監督 退任のお知らせ | テゲバジャーロ宮崎－オフィシャルサイト". www.tegevajaro.com (in Japanese). 5 December 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    16. "大熊 裕司氏 新監督就任(2024年1月1日付)のお知らせ | テゲバジャーロ宮崎－オフィシャルサイト". www.tegevajaro.com (in Japanese). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
    17. "原崎政人 監督 退任のお知らせ". www.ardija.co.jp. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    18. "長澤徹 監督 就任のお知らせ". www.ardija.co.jp. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
    19. "【トップチーム】工藤 直人 監督 退任のお知らせ｜ニュース｜ＦＣ今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site". ＦＣ今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site (in Japanese). 10 December 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    20. "【トップチーム】服部 年宏 氏 監督 就任のお知らせ｜ニュース｜ＦＣ今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site". ＦＣ今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site (in Japanese). 11 December 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
    21. "いわてグルージャ盛岡 オフィシャルサイト". いわてグルージャ盛岡 オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). 8 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
    22. "「ホームグロウン制度」の導入と「外国籍選手枠」の変更について" [About the introduction of the "homegrown system" and the change of the "foreign player quota"]. JLeague.jp (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018.
    23. "プロサッカー選手の契約、登録および移籍に関する規則" [Rules for contracting, registering and transferring professional soccer players] (PDF). JFA.jp (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
    24. "All Positions | Goals | All clubs | MEIJI YASUDA J3 LEAGUE | 2024 Player Stats". J.LEAGUE. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
    25. "Kuroda named Manager of the Month after Zelvia's fast start | News". J.LEAGUE. 17 April 2024.
    26. "Zelvia star Hirakawa earns Konami Monthly MVP for February and March | News". J.LEAGUE. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
    27. "Taniguchi's magnificent volley for Albirex wins Goal of the Month for February and March | News". J.LEAGUE. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
    28. "Suzuki shines bright for Bellmare to win Young Player of the Month for February and March | News". J.LEAGUE. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
    29. "Akio Kogiku named Manager of the Month for Cerezo Osaka's terrific April | News". J.LEAGUE. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
    30. "Top Scorer Ryo Germain wins Konami Monthly MVP for April | News". J.LEAGUE. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
    31. "Thiago Santana awarded April Goal of the Month for spectacular half-field strike | News". J.LEAGUE. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
    32. "Isa Sakamoto's amazing April wins him Young Player of the Month | News". J.LEAGUE. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
    33. "Popović wins Manager of the Month after leading Kashima's May surge | News". J.LEAGUE. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
    34. "Suzuki named Konami Monthly MVP after marvelous May for Kashima | News". J.LEAGUE. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
    35. "Inukai's magnificent 35-yard blast wins Goal of the Month for May | News". J.LEAGUE. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
    36. "Tawaratsumida named Young Player of the Month for outstanding May | News". J.LEAGUE. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.