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X-League (Xリーグ)

Formerly	Japan American Football League (1971–1997)
Sport	Gridiron football
Founded	1971; 53 years ago (1971)
No. of teams	55 (X1 Super & Area:20, X2:19, X3:16)
Country	Japan
Most recent champion(s)	Fujitsu Frontiers (8th title)
Most titles	Obic Seagulls (9 titles)
Official website	Official website

The X-League (Xリーグ) is the top-level Professional Gridiron football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan American Football League, the first X Bowl was played in 1987. The league changed its name to the X League in 1997. There are four divisions (X1 Super, X1 Area, X2, and X3) among which there is promotion and relegation.^[1] Teams are split into different divisions or blocks, depending on the tier. There are two types of teams, one being a company team in which only employees of that particular sponsoring company may play, and the other being a club team for which anyone can try out.

Game rules are based on those of the NCAA college division in the United States, with the exception of the length of quarters, which are 12 minutes instead of 15 during the first stage of the season.

The Japanese national team, which has won the first and second editions of the American Football World Cup and was runner-up, finishing second to the American team, in the 2007 installment of the tournament, was made up almost entirely of players from this league.

Americans are often recruited to play for X League teams, with a strict rule of four per team. No more than two foreign players per team are allowed on the field of play at a time.

Season format

The league is split into 4 tiers: X1 Super, X1 Area, X2 and X3.

There are two spring tournaments as well which are used by teams to ready themselves and evaluate new players before the fall season. One is the larger Pearl Bowl which teams from eastern Japan compete in, and the other is the Green Bowl for teams in western Japan.

Regular season

The top tier, X1 Super, includes 12 teams split into 2 divisions of 6 teams who play a 5 game regular season.

The second tier, X1 Area, contains 8 teams while X2 comprises 19 teams, and X3 with 16 teams. The teams in X1 Area is divided into three groups with each team playing six games, three inside the group and three outside.

The top tier X1 Super has 2 divisions, A and B, made up of teams from all over Japan. The next league down, X1 Area, has just one division between all 8 teams. The next two leagues below, the X2 and X3, contain east, west, and central divisions. The east and central divisions comprise teams mostly in and around the Kanto area, with the west teams being in the Kansai area.

Postseason

At the end of the X1 Super season, the top four teams in each division head into the quarterfinals then the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals would advance to the Japan X Bowl.

The top two teams in the X1 Area compete in the X1 Area Bowl for the chance to advance to the Area/Super promotional matches against the 7th and 8th place X1 Super teams.

Japan X Bowl

The two semifinal winners would meet for the league championship in the Japan X Bowl held at the Tokyo Dome. Since 1987, Japan X Bowl has decided the X League championship. Until 2002, it was known as the Tokyo Super Bowl. The winner of this game goes on to the Rice Bowl to face the winner of the Koshien Bowl, the national college championship game.

Relegation and Division Replacement games

The 7th and 8th place team from X1 Super would play a relegation playoff game against the 1st and 2nd place team from the X1 Area league.

The same goes for the last place team in the X1 Area who would play the X2 champion to decide who would be the 8th team in X1 Area.

2023 X-League team organization

X1 Super

X1 Area

X2

East

• Club Blue Thunders
• Sony Solidstate
• Warriors
• Hurricanes
• Ibaraki Saviors
• Yokohama Harbors
• Shitamachi Gorillaz

Central

• AFC Cranes
• Club Barbarian
• Zero Fighters AFC
• Wranglers
• Ox Kawasaki AFC

West

• Sidewinders
• Nishinomiya Bruins
• Club Hawkeye
• Osaka Gas Skunks
• Golden Fighters
• TRIAXIS J-Stars

X3

East

• Itochu Wings
• Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Seagulls
• Club Steelers
• MERU-KYOEI Guardians

West

A Block

• Iso Superstars
• Lead Effort Ales
• Club Bears
• Sato Construction Standing Bears
• Club Islands
• Mie Firebird

B Block

• Aichi Golden Wings
• Toyoda Bull Fighters
• Hiroshima Hawks
• Tristars
• Masahide Blazers
• Osaka Prefectural Police Shields

Past League Results

X-League Divisional Standings since 1997

East/Central