2023 Japanese Regional Football Champions League

As usual, 12 teams will participate in the transitional tournament for regional league teams who want to join the JFL. Nine qualifies as champions of their respective Regional Leagues on 2023. The other three spots are by default allocated to the best three Shakaijin Cup teams out of its semi-finalists that were not yet qualified to the Champions League via the Regional Leagues (being placed below the champions of their league).

In case the slot (s) can't be filled, in a situation where more than one semi-finalist has already qualified to the Champions League as Regional champions, the empty slot (s) is rewarded to the J.League 100 Year Plan club status holders that finished the season as a Regional League runner (s)-up. If more than one "status holders" finishes the season as the 2nd-placed team in their respective Regional Leagues, an annually-rotated order of priority will be taken into consideration. This year, the order is: Tohoku, Shikoku and Kanto. Tohoku and Shikoku's runners-up Cobaltore Onagawa and Lvnirosso NC are not "status holders". The slot was then assigned to Kanto's runners-up Tochigi City FC, the only status holder out of the three.

Only teams that want to join the JFL can be promoted. If a team with no intention to join the JFL ends up winning the final round, the promotion spot will be allocated to the runner-up. If the runner-up also have no intention to be promoted, a spot will be allocated to the third-placed team. If they also refuse, the bottom-placed team will be promoted instead. In all mentioned scenarios, the bottom-placed team of the 2023 Japan Football League will not be relegated, and no play-off will be held. If both Regional Champions League winner and runner-up aims to be promoted, the winner will be automatically promoted, whereas the runner-up will hold a play-off match with JFL's bottom-placed team.[2]

Depending on the clubs that ended up as the top three teams in the Shakaijin Cup, a specific rank that would take the J.League 100 Year Plan club status clubs and its performances in the 2023 Regional Leagues into account would be applied to determine the final teams on this competition.[3][4]

Returning teams from the previous season were noted in bold. Teams relegated from the previous JFL season were noted in italics.

• First round:
  • Rifu, Miyagi: Miyagi Co-op Megumino Soccer Field
  • Hikone, Shiga: Heiwado HATO Stadium
  • Miyazaki, Miyazaki: Hinata Miyazaki Prefectural Comprehensive Sports Park
• Final round:
  • Utsunomiya, Tochigi: Tochigi Green Stadium

Each group will have its matches played in a round-robin format. Each team plays three matches in just three days, from 11 to 13 November, with one being played at each day. [5] The draw will be held on 28 October.[6] Last year, it was streamed live by Kansai Soccer League's official YouTube channel. [7]

The three winners of each group of the first round will qualify for the final round, alongside the best-placed team among the runners-up of each group.

The group will have matches played in a round-robin format, played in a five-days span, from 22 to 26 November.

To be added.

• About the Tournament (JFA)
• Schedule/Result (JFA)