2020 J2 League
The 2020 J2 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, will be the 28th season of J2 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1993. The league will start on 21 February 2020. For this season, the league was planned to have season break to avoid clash with 2020 Summer Olympics due to be starting from June to August, as the Olympics have been postponed to a year. Effects of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. On February 25, all J.League matches until March 15 were postponed in response to the  COVID-19 pandemic. After that, it was announced that it would be postponed until March 29. On March 19, the J.League announced no relegation would take place for the 2020 season, with the J1 League expanding to 20 clubs for the 2021 season. On March 25, a further announcement declared that the league would be suspended from April 3 to May 6. On April 3, a decision to start over the official game schedule, which aims to gradually resume J3 from April 25, J2 from May 2, and J1 from May 9. Note that, considering a new schedule in the future , but it will resume it at least one month later and later in the month. On May 29, the J.LEAGUE announced to resume matches on June 27. On June 9, a further announcement about the schedule of the 2020 season. On June 15, a new announcement about the New dates. The first 2 rounds of matches in each league (J2 2nd-3rd series) will be held without spectators. After July 10, as a rule, the maximum number of people will be 5,000, (stadiums with less capacity are those with less than 50% of the capacity of people, will forbid away supporters ). After August, the maximum stadium capacity will be 50%, and it will be a “high alert spectator match”. After the 11th J.League extraordinary executive committee on July 20, it was announced that the "super strict alert audience game" would be extended to August 10 in view of the spread of coronavirus infection. Clubs. After spending only one season in J2, Kashiwa Reysol were crowned champions and were promoted to 2020 J1 League along with the runners-up Yokohama FC. The 2019 J3 League champions Giravanz Kitakyushu and runners-up Thespakusatsu Gunma entered the league as the promoted teams, replacing Kagoshima  United and FC Gifu who were relegated to 2020 J3 League. Those teams that qualified for promotion playoffs in 2019 were unable to defeat their opponent and thus remain in 2020 J1 League season. Giravanz Kitakyushu return to J2 after spending three seasons in J3, while Thespakusatsu Gunma return after spending two seasons. Meanwhile, Matsumoto Yamaga and Júbilo Iwata will join 2020 J2 League as relegated teams from 2019 J1 League having placed 17th and 18th respectively. Foreign players. As of 2020 season, there are no more restrictions on a number of signed foreign players, but clubs can only register  up to five foreign players for a single match-day squad. Players from J.League partner nations (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia and Qatar) are exempt from these restrictions. League table. It was decided on 19 March to change the format regarding the rules for promotion/relegation for the end of the season for the J1, J2 and J3 leagues, such that there would be no relegation this season, that two clubs from the J2 League would be promoted to the 2021 J1 League, and that two clubs from the J3 League would be promoted to the 2021 J2  League (subject to licensing regulations). It was also announced that the J1/J2 play-offs will not be held.