Kyoto Sanga 1-1 Vissel Kobe: Why This J.League Match Went to Penalties

Why J.League Matches Have Penalty Shootouts in 2026 — Understanding the Transitional “100-Year Vision League” Format

Introduction

The 2026 Japanese football season has started in a way that surprised many fans. Matches like Kyoto Sanga vs. Vissel Kobe, which ended 1-1 but went to a penalty shootout, left viewers confused — since league matches normally allow draws.

However, this is not a standard J1 League season. Instead, Japan’s top flight is currently running a special transitional competition designed to bridge a historic change in the league’s calendar.

Here’s a full breakdown of the new format and why penalty shootouts are now part of “league” games.

Image generated for illustration purpose, to visualize the penalty shootout drama.

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Why the J.League Introduced a Transitional Competition

The J.League is moving from its traditional spring–autumn schedule to a European-style autumn–spring calendar, starting from the 2026-27 season.

This shift created a long competitive gap after the 2025 campaign ended. Rather than leave clubs inactive for months, the league introduced a one-off competition called the:

👉 Meiji Yasuda J1 100-Year Vision League (百年構想リーグ)

This tournament keeps teams competitive while preparing Japanese football for alignment with international calendars and continental competitions.

Importantly, this is not considered a normal J1 League season.

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Tournament Structure

Regional Group System

• 20 J1 clubs are divided into:

• East Group
• West Group

• Each group contains 10 teams.
• Clubs play a double round-robin within their group.
• Every team plays 18 group matches.

This regional format reduces travel demands during the transitional period and adds a fresh competitive structure.

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The Unique Points System — No Draws Allowed

One of the biggest changes is the removal of traditional draws.

Match Outcomes:

• Win in 90 minutes → 3 points
• Draw after 90 minutes → Penalty shootout

• Shootout winner → 2 points
• Shootout loser → 1 point

This means every match produces a winner — even if only for points allocation.

Real Example

Kyoto Sanga 1-1 Vissel Kobe:

• Match tied after regulation
• Went directly to penalties
• Vissel Kobe won 4-1
• Kobe earned 2 points
• Kyoto still gained 1 point

This explains why fans are seeing penalty shootouts in “league” fixtures for the first time.

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Playoff Phase After the Group Stage

Once the regional stage ends:

• Teams finishing in the same position in each group face each other.
• Examples:

• 1st East vs 1st West → Championship Final
• 2nd vs 2nd → Third-place playoff
• And so on down the table.

These ties are played home-and-away using standard knockout rules.

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No Promotion or Relegation

Because this is a transitional competition:

• There is no relegation
• There is no promotion impact
• The goal is competitive continuity rather than restructuring league status.

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Incentives and Competitive Stakes

Despite being a temporary format, the tournament still matters:

• The champion earns continental competition qualification.
• Prize money is awarded based on performance and placement.
• Clubs use it to test tactics ahead of the new calendar era.

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Why This Transition Matters for Japanese Football

The move to an autumn–spring calendar is a major strategic shift designed to:

• Align Japan with AFC and European competition cycles
• Improve transfer market synchronization
• Enhance global competitiveness of Japanese clubs
• Reduce conflicts with international tournaments

The 2026 transitional league is effectively a bridge between two eras of Japanese football.

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Conclusion

Penalty shootouts in J.League “league matches” are not a permanent rule change — they exist because the 2026 season is a special transitional competition.

The 100-Year Vision League introduces:

• Regional groups
• No drawn matches
• A penalty-based points system
• A final playoff stage

It’s a unique, one-time experiment that reflects the league’s biggest structural transformation in decades.

And for fans, it offers something rare: league-style matches where every game must produce a winner.