X-League

X-League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event ja:2019年のXリーグ
X League.png
FormerlyJapan American Football League (1971–1997)
SportAmerican football
Founded1971; 50 years ago (1971)
No. of teams53 (X1:18, X2:18, X3:17)
CountryJapan
Most recent
champion(s)
Obic Seagulls (6th title)
Most titlesObic Seagulls (9 titles)
Official websiteOfficial website

The X-League (Xリーグ) is the top-level American football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan American Football League, and changed its name to the X League in 1997. There are three divisions (X1, X2, and X3) among which there is promotion and relegation.[1] Teams in the three-tier league are split into East, West, and Central divisions. 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 3 tiers: X1 Super, X1 Area and X2.

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 eight teams who will all play each other once in a seven game season.

The second tier, X1 Area contains 12 teams while X2 comprises 18 teams. The teams in X1 Area will be divided into three groups with each team playing six games, three inside the group and three outside.

Postseason

At the end of the X1 Super season, the top four teams head into 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 match against the 8th placed X1 Super team.

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 replacement games

The 8th place team from X1 Super would play a relegation playoff game against the winning 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 12th team in X1 Area.

2019 X-League team organization

X1 Super

X1 Area

X2

East

  • Club Triax
  • Sony Solidstate
  • Club Blue Thunders
  • Warriors
  • Club Barbarian
  • Hurricanes


Central


West


X3

East

  • Itochu Wings
  • Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Seagulls
  • Club Steelers


West

A Block
  • Club Islands
  • Club Bears
  • Aichi Golden Wings
  • Okayama Standing Bears
  • Kirix Toyota Bull Fighters
  • Honjetsu Blazers


B Block
  • Hiroshima UCS Hawks
  • Tri-stars
  • Wako Raiders
  • Osaka Prefectural Police Shields
  • Mie Fire Birds


Past League Results

X-League Divisional Standings since 1997

Notations
Advanced to Final6, Super9 or Post Season Promoted from X2 Demoted to X2 at the end of the season. Team Folded at the end of the season.
East/Central
Year Division 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
1997 East Asahi Beer Silver Star Onward Oaks Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Apricot Fujitsu Frontiers Tokai Bank Red Wave Renown Rovers
Central Kajima Deers Nissan Prince Tokyo Recruit Seagulls Skylark Co.,Ltd. Skylarks Sanwa Bank Lark Hills Sakura Bank Dainosu
1998 East Nissan Prince Tokyo Asahi Beer Silver Star Skylark Co.,Ltd. Skylarks Tokai Bank Red Wave Sumitomo Bank Springs Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Apricot
Central Kajima Deers Recruit Seagulls Onward Oaks Fujitsu Frontiers Renown Rovers Sanwa Bank Lark Hills
1999 East Onward Oaks Recruit Seagulls Nissan Prince Tokyo Tokyo Marine Dolphins Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank Apricot Sankura Bank Dainosu
Central Kajima Deers Asahi Beer Silver Star Fujitsu Frontiers Skylark Co.,Ltd. Skylarks Tokyo Marine Dolphins Sanwa Bank Lark Hills
2000 East Fujitsu Frontiers Asahi Beer Silver Star Onward Oaks Skylark Co.,Ltd. Skylarks Club Dainosu Renown Rovers
Central Recruit Seagulls Nissan Prince Tokyo Kajima Deers Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank Tokyo Marine Dolphins Tokyo Skyliners
2001 East Kajima Deers Fujitsu Frontiers Nissan Prince Tokyo Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull Club Dainosu Club Huskies
Central Recruit Seagulls Asahi Beer Silver Star Onward Oaks Lions Renown Rovers Penta-Ocean Construction Co. Pirates
2002 East Fujitsu Frontiers Kajima Deers Lions Nissan Skyliners IBM Big Blue Sakura Bank Dainosu
Central Seagulls Onward Skylarks Asahi Beer Silver Star Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull Renown Rovers Club Huskies
2003 East Onward Skylarks Asahi Beer Silver Star Fujitsu Frontiers Nissan Skyliners Tokyo Gas Creators Club Huskies
Central Kajima Deers Obic Seagulls Penta-Ocean Construction Co. Pirates All Mitsubishi Lions Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull IBM Big Blue
2004 East Kajima Deers Asahi Beer Silver Star All Mitsubishi Lions IBM Big Blue Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull Penta-Ocean Construction Pirates
Central Onward Skylarks Obic Seagulls Nissan Skyliners Fujitsu Frontiers Tokyo Gas Creators Club Huskies
2005 East Obic Seagulls Onward Skylarks Fujitsu Frontiers Yasuda L.A. Pirates Tokyo Gas Creators All Mitsubishi Lions
Central Kajima Deers Asahi Beer Silver Star IBM Big Blue Nissan Skyliners Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull Renesas Hurricanes
2006 East Onward Skylarks Kajima Deers IBM Big Blue All Mitsubishi Lions Meiji Yasuda Pirates Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull
Central Asahi Beer Silver Star Obic Seagulls Fujitsu Frontiers Nissan Skyliners Tokyo Gas Creators Renesas Hurricanes
2007 East Fujitsu Frontiers Obic Seagulls Asahi Beer Silver Star All Mitsubishi Lions Renesas Hurricanes Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull
Central Kajima Deers Onward Skylarks IBM Big Blue Meiji Yasuda Pirates Tokyo Gas Creators Fuji Xerox Minerva
2008 East Onward Skylarks Fujitsu Frontiers Asahi Beer Silver Star Meiji Yasuda Pirates Renesas Hurricanes Fuji Xerox Minerva
Central Kajima Deers Obic Seagulls IBM Big Blue All Mitsubishi Lions All Tokyo Gas Creators Gakusei-Engokai Rocbull
2009 East Asahi Beer Silver Star Obic Seagulls Nihon Unisys Bulls All Mitsubishi Lions Fuji Xerox Minerva All Tokyo Gas Creators
Central Fujitsu Frontiers Kajima Deers IBM Big Blue Meiji Yasuda Pirates Hurricanes AFC Bullseyes Tokyo
2010 East Kajima Deers IBM Big Blue Asahi Beer Silver Star All Mitsubishi Lions Bullseyes Tokyo Fuji Xerox Minerva
Central Obic Seagulls Fujitsu Frontiers Meiji Yasuda Pirates All Tokyo Gas Creators Hurricanes AFC Nihon Unisys Bulls
2011 East Kajima Deers Fujitsu Frontiers All Mitsubishi Lions Meiji Yasuda Pirates Bullseyes Tokyo Fuji Xerox Minverva
Central Obic Seagulls Nojima Sagamihara Rise Asahi Beer Silver Star IBM Big Blue All Tokyo Gas Creators Nihon Unisys Bulls
2012 East Kajima Deers Nojima Sagamihara Rise Asahi Beer Silver Star Meiji Yasuda Pirates Nihon Unisys Bulls Bullseyes Tokyo
Central Obic Seagulls Fujitsu Frontiers IBM Big Blue Tokyo Gas Creators All Mitsubishi Lions Fuji Xerox Minerva
2013 East Fujitsu Frontiers Kajima Deers Asahi Beer Silver Star Tokyo Gas Creators Nihon Unisys Bulls Hurricanes
Central Obic Seagulls Nojima Sagamihara Rise IBM Big Blue All Mitsubishi Lions Meiji Yasuda Pirates Tokyo MPD Eagles
2014 East Fujitsu Frontiers IBM Big Blue Nojima Sagamihara Rise Tokyo Gas Creators Meiji Yasuda Pirates Hurricanes
Central LIXIL Deers Obic Seagulls Asahi Beer Silver Star All Mitsubishi Lions Bulls Football Club Taiyo Building Mgmt. Cranes
2015 East Fujitsu Frontiers Nojima Sagamihara Rise Obic Seagulls All Mitsubishi Lions Meiji Yasuda Penta-Ocean Pirates Tokyo MPD Eagles
Central IBM Big Blue LIXIL Deers Asahi Beer Silver Star Bulls Football Club Tokyo Gas Creators Hurricanes
2016 East Fujitsu Frontiers IBM Big Blue Asahi Beer Silver Star All Mitsubishi Lions Tokyo MPD Eagles Bulls Football Club
Central Obic Seagulls LIXIL Deers Nojima Sagamihara Rise Tokyo Gas Creators Meiji Yasuda Penta-Ocean Pirates Bullseyes Tokyo
2017 East Fujitsu Frontiers LIXIL Deers Asahi Beer Silver Star Fuji Xerox Minerva AFC Tokyo Gas Creators Tokyo MPD Eagles
Central Nojima Sagamihara Rise IBM Big Blue Obic Seagulls All Mitsubishi Lions Meiji Yasuda Penta-Ocean Pirates Bulls Football Club
2018 East Fujitsu Frontiers IBM Big Blue Asahi Beer Silver Star All Mitsubishi Lions Meiji Yasuda Penta-Ocean Pirates Dentsu Club Caterpillars
Central Nojima Sagamihara Rise Obic Seagulls LIXIL Deers Tokyo Gas Creators Fuji Xerox Minerva AFC Bulls Football Club
West
Year Division 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
1997 West Matsushita Electric Works Impulse Sunstar Finies MYCAL Bears Osaka Black Eagles Iwatani Sidewinders Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers
1998 West Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Matsushita Electric Works Impulse MYCAL Bears Iwatani Sidewinders Sunstar Finies Iuchi Black Eagles
1999 West Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers MYCAL Bears Matsushita Electric Works Impulse Kohaku Finies Iuchi Black Eagles Iwatani Sidewinders
2000 West Matsushita Electric Works Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers MYCAL Bears Kohaku Finies Iuchi Black Eagles Iwatani Sidewinders
2001 West Matsushita Electric Works Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers MYCAL Bears Iwatani Sidewinders Kohaku Finies AS ONE Black Eagles
2002 West Matsushita Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Iwatani Sidewinders Hankyu Bruins Kohaku Finies
2003 West Matsushita Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Naigai Denki Marvies Hankyu Bruins Iwatani Sidewinders
2004 West Matsushita Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Naigai Denki Marvies Finies Football Club Hankyu Bruins
2005 West Matsushita Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Naigai Denki Marvies AS ONE Black Eagles Iwatani Sidewinders Kobe Finies
2006 West Matsushita Denko Impulse Nagai Denki Marvies Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers SRC Kobe Finies AS ONE Black Eagles Iwatani Sidewinders
2007 West Matsushita Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Naigai Denki Marvies AS ONE Black Eagles SRC Kobe Finies Nagoya Cyclones
2008 West Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Panasonic Denko Impulse SRC Kobe Finies Naigai Denki Marvies Asahi Pretec Golden Fighters AS ONE Black Eagles
2009 West Panasonic Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Suita Marvies Elecom Kobe Finies Asahi Pretec Golden Fighters AS ONE Black Eagles
2010 West Panasonic Denko Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Suita Marvies Elecom Kobe Finies AS ONE Black Eagles Nagoya Cyclones
2011 West Panasonic Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Elecom Kobe Finies Nagoya Cyclones Fuji Xerox J-Stars
2012 West Panasonic Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Elecom Kobe Finies Nagoya Cyclones Nishinomiya Bruins
2013 West Panasonic Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Elecom Kobe Finies Nishinomiya Bruins Nagoya Cyclones
2014 West Elecom Kobe Finies Panasonic Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Nagoya Cyclones Nishinomiya Bruins
2015 West Panasonic Impulse Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Elecom Kobe Finies AS ONE Black Eagles Nagoya Cyclones Fuji Xerox J-Stars
2016 West Panasonic Impulse Elecom Kobe Finies Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Nagoya Cyclones Sidewinders
2017 West Panasonic Impulse Elecom Kobe Finies Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Nagoya Cyclones Club Hawkeye
2018 West Panasonic Impulse Elecom Kobe Finies Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers AS ONE Black Eagles Nagoya Cyclones Sidewinders
  • Until 2008, the top 2 teams in each division qualified for the playoffs to the Japan X bowl known as the Final6. Starting 2009, the top 3 teams in each division qualified for the Super9 in the 2nd stage.
Notations
Advanced to Semifinals Promoted from X1 Area Demoted to X1 Area at the end of the season. Team Folded at the end of the season.
X1 Super
Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
2019 Fujitsu Frontiers Obic Seagulls Panasonic Impulse Elecom Kobe Finies IBM Big Blue Tokyo Gas Creators All Mitsubishi Lions Nojima Sagamihara Rise
Notations
Advanced to Post Season Promoted from X2 Demoted to X2 at the end of the season. Team Folded at the end of the season.
X1 Area East/Central
Year Division 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
2019 East Asahi Beer Silver Star Fuji Xerox Minerva AFC Dentsu Club Caterpillars AFC Cranes
Central LIXIL Deers Meiji Yasuda PentaOcean Pirates Tokyo MPD Eagles Bullseyes Tokyo
X1 Area West
Year Division 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
2019 West Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers Fukuoka Opatsu Suns Nagoya Cyclones AS ONE Black Eagles

Playing venues

Awards and honors

All X-League Team

Since 2000, the X-League honors outstanding players by electing them to the All X-League Team. 11 offensive players, 11 defensive players and 3 special team players are voted by the Head Coaches and 5 players on each of the 18 X1 teams to be selected for the team.

X-League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award

The X-League Most Valuable Player award (X-League MVP) is an award given to the Japanese American Football player who is considered most valuable to his team in the X-League. Started in 2012, the award was divided between the best player in each division until 2014 when one overall MVP was awarded.

Year Division Winner Position Team
2012 East Yasuhiro Maruta Running Back Kajima Deers
Central Noriaki Kinoshita Wide Receiver Obic Seagulls
West Ryohei Imanashi Cornerback Panasonic Impulse
2013 East Keiya Hiramoto Quarterback Fujitsu Frontiers
Central Noriaki Kinoshita Wide Receiver Obic Seagulls
West Tetsuo Takata Quarterback Panasonic Impulse
Year Winner Position Team
2014 Gino Gordon Running Back Fujitsu Frontiers
2015 Tetsuo Takata[2]
Quarterback Panasonic Impulse
2016 Colby Cameron[3]
Quarterback Fujitsu
2017 Benjamin Anderson[4]
Quarterback Panasonic Impulse
2018 Trashaun Nixon Running Back Fujitsu Frontiers
2019 Samajie Grant Running Back Fujitsu Frontiers
2020 Michael Birdsong Quarterback Fujitsu Frontiers

X-League Rookie of the Year (ROY) award

The X-League Rookie of the Year award (X-League ROY) is an award given to the player who is considered have made a big impact during his first year with his team. Started in 2012, the award was divided between the best player in each division until 2014 when one overall ROY was awarded.

Year Division Winner Position Team
2012 East Kohei Arai Center Kajima Deers
Central Kevin Craft Quarterback IBM Big Blue
West Hisashi Kurokawa Offensive Tackle Panasonic Impulse
2013 East Jinpei Yoshimoto Wide Receiver Fujitsu Frontiers
Central Kealakai Maiava Offensive Tackle Obic Seagulls
West David Motu Linebacker Panasonic Impulse
Year Winner Position Team
2014 Colby Cameron Quarterback Fujitsu Frontiers
2015 Mason Mills Quarterback Asahi Beer Silver Star
2016 Devin Gardner Quarterback Nojima Sagamihara Rise
2017 Taku Li Running Back Obic Seagulls
2018 Michael Birdsong Quarterback Fujitsu Frontiers
2019 Samajie Grant Running Back Fujitsu Frontiers
2020 Kurt Palandech[5]
Quarterback Nojima Sagamihara Rise

X-League Fairplay award

Since 2012, the X-League Fairplay award is awarded to the team that had accumulated the fewest penalties during the regular season.

Year Division Team
2012 West Panasonic Impulse
2013 Central All Mitsubishi Lions
2014 East Hurricanes (X-League)
2015 Central Hurricanes (X-League)
2016 East Keishichou Eagles
2017 East Keishichou Eagles

Team names

  • Silver Star → Asahi Beer Silver Star
  • Matsushita Electric Works Impulse → Panasonic Electric Works Impulse
  • Kohoku Finies → Sunstar Finies → Kohoku Finies → Finies Football Club → Kobe Finies → SRC Kobe Finies → Elecom Kobe Finies
  • Recruit Seagulls → Seagulls → Obic Seagulls
  • NEC Falcons (dissolved in 1997)
  • Renown Rovers (dissolved in 2003)
  • Onward Oaks → Onward Skylarks(Combined with Skylark Skylarks in 2001) → Onward Oaks (dissolved in 2009)→ Sagamihara Rise (Remnants of the Onward Oaks formed a new team called the Sagamihara Rise (same uniforms and colors, although different logo) and played one level down in the X2 league through the 2010 season. They subsequently won the challenge game against the Renesas Hurricanes to move back up to X1 in December 2010, and will play again in the X1 Central Division for the 2011 season, with the Hurricanes moving down to X2)

References

  1. ^ "League Playoff Works". xleague.com. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (February 2, 2016). "Takata named MVP; 8 Impulse make All X-League team". xleague.com. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  3. ^ "Cameron named MVP, heads 9 Frontiers on All-League team". xleague.com. January 31, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  4. ^ Marantz, Ken (November 30, 2017). "Panasonic QB Anderson named MVP; Impulse, Frontiers lead All X-League selections with 7 each". xleague.com. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  5. ^ "ALL X1 Super". xleague.jp. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.

External links


This page was last updated at 2021-04-09 13:55 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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