X-League

Infobox sports league
logo=xleague.jpg
pixels=100px
sport=American football
founded=1971
teams=60
country=Japan
champion= [http://www.go-go-impulse.net/ Matsushita Electric Works Impulse]
website= [http://www.xleague.com/ X-League Homepage]

The X-League is a semi-professional American football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan American Football League. It changed its name to the X-league in 1987. There are four division (X1, X2, X3, and X4) between which there is promotion and relegation. Teams in the four-tier league are split into east, west, and central divisions. There are two types of teams, one being a company-team which only employees of that particular sponsoring company may participate as a player, and the other classified as a club-team for which anyone can tryout. The Japanese game is shorter, with quarters lasting 12 minutes instead of the standard 15. Game rules are based on those of the NCAA college division in America. The five-game regular season ends with three rounds of playoffs and the Japan X Bowl. There is a spring tournament as well called the Pearl Bowl which is used by teams to ready themselves and evaluate new players before the fall season.

As mentioned above, it is a semi-pro league and therefore players are not allowed to be compensated for their playing in terms of salary.

The Japan national American football team that has won the first and second editions of the American Football World Cup and was runner-up finishing second to the American team in last years third installment of the tournament, was made-up almost entirely of players from this league.

2007 X League X1 Teams

X Bowl

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.

Winners

References

* [http://www.xleague.com/ X League homepage]
* [http://www.businessweek.com/2001/01_06/b3718193.htm Japan's X-League Runs with the Ball]
* [http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/316 X League's Road to the Rice Bowl]