Qualification
Until 2009, the number of places in the tournament was 16, distributed as follows:
- All regional league champions (9 clubs)
- 4 regional league runners-up (4 clubs)
- University club recommended by the university association (1 club)
- Club recommended by the JFA (1 club)
- All Japan Senior Cup winner (1 club)
- Other clubs (other league runner-ups, Senior Cup runner-ups or third places, etc.) (0-3 clubs) - more allowed if Senior Cup holder has won a regional league or been runner-up
As of 2010, the regional league runner-ups are no longer eligible and the university association is no longer allowed to make recommendations, reducing the number of places to 12.
- All regional league champions (9 clubs)
- Club recommended by the JFA (at most 1 club)
- All Japan Senior Cup winners and runners-up (at most 2 clubs)
- This may replaced by 3rd- and/or 4th-placed team if the winners and/or runners-up win a regional league or recommended by the JFA.
- Regional league runner-ups (0-3 clubs)
- This number of clubs changes by the result of "Club recommended by the JFA" and "All Japan Senior Cup".
Read more about this topic: All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series