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 and organized the first X Bowl in 1987. The league changed its name to the X League in 1997. The league is divided into four divisions (X1 Super, X1 Area, X2, and X3) with promotion and relegation between them.[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Starting 2019, the All X-League team was divided between 2 classifications: The 8-team X1 Super and 12-team X1 Area with both selecting 11 offensive players, 11 defensive players and 3 special team players and are voted by the Head Coaches and 5 players on each of the teams. In 2020, the X1 Area All X League Team was expanded to include a West and East team due to the shortened season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The X-League Most Valuable Player award (X-League MVP) is an award given to the Japanese Gridiron 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. Starting in 2019, the award was divided between the best player in each classification.
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. Starting in 2019, the awarded was divided between 2 classifications: X1 Super and X1 Area.
Since 2012, the X-League Fairplay award is awarded to the team that had accumulated the fewest penalties during the regular season.