The J.League is again hosting an eSports competition starting from 28th March, 2020 which will award valuable EA SPORTS™ FIFA Global Series Points on the Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup™ 2020.

EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE will be played in FIFA Ultimate Team™ mode on EA SPORTSFIFA 20, the game produced by Electronic Arts (EA). The preliminary tournament takes place online and the final round will be played offline.

The winner will receive EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series Points which will contribute to onward qualification to the EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series Playoffs*, which then progresses to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2020 hosted by FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

The J.League seeks to give everyone diverse opportunities to experience sport close up as a part of their everyday life, regardless of age or gender.

The EA SPORTS FIFA Global Series allows this 3rd time eSports competition since 2018 to have the dual aims of sending players out to the world and spreading awareness of the joys of football.

The champion and other top finishers will earn EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series Points, and the champion will also be awarded prize money of one million yen. The runner-up will be awarded prize money of three hundred thousand yen.

■FIFA 20 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE 
Overview
How to Participate
* Eligibility restrictions apply. See OFFICIAL RULES for details

The FIFA 20 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE Overview

■Title
FIFA20 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE

■Host
Japan Professional Football League

■Special Cooperation
To be decided

■Top Partner
To be decided

■Date
《Preliminary Round》
Contestants will be divided into groups and compete online on the following dates:
(1)Sat.28 March (2) Sun. 29 March (3) San. 5 April

《Final Round》
(1)Fri. 8 May (2) Sat. 9 May

■Venue
《Preliminary Round》Played online
《Final Round》Japan Football Museum 1F Virtual Stadium

■Broadcast
J.League official YouTube channel, J.League official LINE LIVE (TBD)

■Videogame
EA SPORTS FIFA20
This football computer game was developed by EA SPORTS and released by 
Electronic Arts in September, 2019. The players of all 18 J1 teams are listed using their real names.

■Terminal 
PlayStation 4
PlayStation and PS4 are registered trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

■Clubs
2019 J1 Clubs 
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, Vegalta Sendai, Kashima Antlers, Urawa Reds, F.C. Tokyo, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F･Marinos, Shonan Bellmare, Matsumoto Yamaga F.C., Shimizu S-Pulse, Jubilo Iwata, Nagoya Grampus, Gamba Osaka, Cerezo Osaka, Vissel Kobe, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Sagan Tosu, Oita Trinita

■Matches
《Preliminary Round》
All matches will be played as single tournaments using FUT Friendly Seasons. Extra time will be played when a match is tied at the end of normal time. The winner is decided on penalties if the scores are level at the end of extra time.
The winner of the semi-final and final match is decided on BO3 (who win the first 2 matches).

《Final Round》
Qualifiers for the final round will wear the strip of a J1 club.
In the videogame, players will play with the J1 team whose colors they are wearing.
A special game account will be created to enable the use of all players.
Each team must have 2 (two) J1 club players who belong to the played team on the pitch at all times.

■Competition format
The preliminary round shall be online and the final round, offline.
《Preliminary Round》
Each of the 18 J1 clubs will host a knockout tournament and either one or two players from each tournament will qualify for the final.
Each J.League club is entitled to nominate one player separately to advance to the final round. The tournament winner will advance in the case of a club which nominates a player, or the winner and runner-up in the case of a club which does not.

《Final Round》
・Group Stage
The final round will be contested by 36 players (anticipated), two from each J1 club, consisting of players advancing from the preliminary round and players specially nominated by J.League clubs*.
The players will be divided into 6 groups of 6 from which 16 players, namely the top 2 finishers in each group and 4 third-placed finishers with the best results, will advance to the knock-out tournament.
Matches at the group stage will be contested over two legs, home and away 
No extra time will be played when a total score over the 2 legs is tied at the end of normal time.

・Knock-out Stage
Matches in the knock-out tournament will be contested over two legs, home and away.
Extra time will be played when a total score over the 2 legs is tied at the end of normal time. The winner is decided on penalties if the scores are level at the end of extra time.

*Players nominated by J.League clubs
Eligibility applies to players registered with EA SPORTS FIFA 20 who represented one of the 18 J1 clubs during the 2019 season.
Each club may nominate one player. (Clubs may select not to nominate a player.) 

■Prizes
Champion eJ.LEAGUE Cup / Prize money of 1 million yen
450 Global Series Points for the EA SPORTS FIFA20 Global Series
※Points may only be awarded to contestants who registered on FUTChampions.com by 31st January, 2020.

Runner-up Prize money of 300,000 yen

EA SPORTS FIFA20 Global Series Points 
Champion 450 points
Runner-up 200 points
3rd/4th 110 points
5th-8th 80 points
9th-16th 40 points
17th and lower 20 points

The FIFA 20 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE How to Participate

■Application Period
17:00 Monday, March 16 – 12:00 Wednesday, March 25, 2020

■Application Method
Register from the tournaments appearing in the Events section on PS4®
※A link is available from the special page on the J.LEAGUE.jp website (in Japanese):
https://www.jleague.jp/ejleague/fifa/2020/
※Online applications only.
※Only one application per person.

■Participation fee 
None

■Eligibility 
○Aged 16 and above (as of 1st April, 2020) and able to participate in the final round on Friday, 8th May and Saturday, 9th May, the FIFA 20 Global Series Playoffs, and 2020 FIFA eWorld Cup.
※Applicants under the age of 20 must provide the signed, written permission of a parent or legal guardian.

○Japanese residency and sufficient Japanese language ability to communicate with the competition secretariat and other competitors. (Any nationality)

■Handling of Personal Information
○Whenever receiving personal information, the J.League always states its 
purpose clearly and obtains the client’s consent for this by fair and appropriate means. The J.League only uses such personal information within the scope required for the stated purposes.

○The J.League only permits the use of personal information received from 
clients either at the J.League or by J.League subcontractors and partners for 
the following stated purposes:  
・The keeping, use and analysis of information within the scope of J.League activities
・Providing requested materials and information when possible
・Responding to questions, feedback and requests
・Communications
・Other purposes laid down in the terms of J.League services.  

■Inquiries: eJ.League Secretariat MAIL [email protected]

※This outline has been excerpted from the eJ.LEAGUE 2020 tournament regulations. Please refer to the full regulations for further details.