Japan changes football rules: only wins or losses allowed

The Japanese J-League shocked fans in the 2026 transition season by abolishing draws: any match tied after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.

J-League is preparing for a major scheduling shift, creating an unprecedented “transition season.” In 2026, the league Japanese top division will implement a special rule: no draws allowed, teams must decide a winner by immediate penalty shootouts after 90 minutes to split the points.

According to the plan, starting from the 2026/27 season, J-League will officially adopt a schedule running from August to June of the following year, aligning with the common European season calendar instead of the traditional February to December. To bridge this change, organizers introduced a special competition called Hyakunen Kousou League (translated as: 100-Year Vision League) held from February to June 2026.

The most notable feature of the Hyakunen Kousou League is the elimination of draws during the regular stage. Specifically, if teams are tied after 90 minutes, they will immediately proceed to penalty shootouts (no extra time) to determine the winner. The points system is also redesigned:

• Win in 90 minutes: 3 points
• Lose in 90 minutes: 0 points
• Win by penalties: 2 points
• Lose by penalties: 1 point

Notably, this rule only applies during the 2026 transition season and will be discontinued from the 2026/27 season onwards.

Regarding the format, the group stage is divided into two groups, East and West, each with 10 teams (applied to both J1 and J2 Leagues) playing a double round-robin. Then, teams enter final playoffs: teams with the same ranking in both groups face off in home-and-away matches. If tied after two legs, extra time or penalties will be used to decide the winner. For example, the two group winners compete for the championship and runner-up spots, while the runners-up battle for third and fourth place, and similarly for other rankings.

The Hyakunen Kousou League starts in early February 2026. The final results of the transition season do not affect promotion or relegation but remain significant for achievements: the J1 League champion of the transition season will earn a spot in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27. During the same period, 40 teams from J2 and J3 combine into four groups, and Japan’s domestic cups are temporarily suspended.

In fact, the “unusual” rule was evident from the first round. In J1 League’s opening round, four matches ended tied after 90 minutes and had to be decided by penalties. This means eight teams left the pitch with intermediate points of 2 or 1 instead of sharing one point as usual.

Given J-League’s reputation for a tough long-term competition, the new rule promises more unpredictability. Looking back at the 2025 J1 League season, where Kashima Antlers won by just one point over Kashiwa Reysol, it’s clear every point matters. Kashima finished with 23 wins, 7 draws, 8 losses (76 points), while Kashiwa had 21 wins, 12 draws, 5 losses (75 points). With the “no draw” penalty shootout rule in the 2026 transition, the points race could become even more volatile.