F.League
The F. League (in Japanese: "F・リーグ", officially "日本フットサルリーグ", Nihon Futtosaru Rīgu) is the top league for Futsal in Japan. The winning team obtains the participation right to the AFC Futsal Club Championship. History. The league was formed in 2007 as a complement for the elimination tournament, (the current "Puma Cup") which groups regional futsal champions into a final elimination phase. The league operates on the sports franchise system, with no promotion or relegation of clubs. The clubs are thus expansion teams. In 2009 the number of clubs was increased from 8 to 10 with the addition of Fuchu Athletic  and Espolada Hokkaido. In F. League play, the clubs battle each other three times: once at home, once away and once in a neutral venue (generally Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo). The season runs from August to February. An elimination league cup, the "Ocean Cup" is played every season by the 12 F.League teams.