Seven Contenders for Challenge League Entry

Seven teams have been given permission to enter the Challenge League for the 2013 season. A qualifying tournament will be held from November 2nd to 4th to determine the teams' ranking.

The top four teams will automatically gain entry, while those finishing fifth and sixth will play off against the two teams finishing bottom this season to determine the makeup of next season's league. The team finishing seventh will be eliminated.

Here are the seven teams and the schedule:

Match 1:
Shimizudaihachi Pleiades (relegated in 2010)
versus
Mashiki Renaissance Kumamoto (relegated in 2010)

Match 2:
Cerezo Osaka Ladies
versus
Norddea Hokkaido (relegated in 2011)

Match 3:
Hoyo Sukarabu FC
versus
Nagoya FC Ladies

First Round bye:
Nojima Stella Kanagawa

So, the winners of the three first round matches will be automatically promoted. Thereafter, the losers of Match 1 will play the losers of Match 2, and the losers of Match 3 will play Nojima.

Match 4:
Shimizudaihachi Pleiades or Mashiki Renaissance Kumamoto
versus
Cerezo Osaka Ladies or Norddea Hokkaido

Match 5:
Hoyo Sukarabu FC or Nagoya FC Ladies
versus
Nojima Stella Kanagawa


The winners of these two games will play each other, and they will become the fourth team automatically promoted. The losers of this game will playoff against the side finishing twelfth in the Challenge League.

The losers of these two games will also play each other, and the winner of this tie will playoff against the team finishing eleventh in the Challenge League. The loser will be eliminated.