Japan/J1 League: no draws, two regional groups and play-offs for the switch to a new season format

The Meiji Yasuda J1 League, Japan's top men's football division, is adopting a new format for its transitional season held between February and June 2026 as part of its move away from a calendar-year season to a format spanning two calendar years from 2026-27.

Under the new format, the league, which comprised 20 clubs in 2025, is divided into two regional groups (East and West) of 10 teams, with each playing 18 games (nine home, nine away). During this phase, a victory earns three points. If no team has won by the end of regulation time, a penalty shoot-out is held, with the winner earning two points and the loser one point.

At the end of the regional phase, play-offs are organised (from 30/05 to 07/06) between the teams ranked in the same position (1^st in the West against 1^st in the East, 2^nd against 2^nd, etc.). These play-offs, which include extra time, determine the final standings for the season.

The winner of the game between the top teams in each regional group finishes first and the loser second, while the match between the two runners-up determines the 3^rd and 4^th places in…