(Sat), the 13th, the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) announced the grouping of participating clubs and the duration of the 2026/27 U-21 J.League (commonly known as the U-21 J.League), a new league to be held with the aim of developing and strengthening players in the post-youth (ages 19-21) and surrounding age groups.

[Grouping]
EAST (6 clubs): Urawa Reds, FC Tokyo, Tokyo Verdy, Kawasaki Frontale, Shimizu S-Pulse, Jubilo Iwata
WEST (5 clubs): Nagoya Grampus, Gamba Osaka, Vissel Kobe, Fagiano Okayama, V-Varen Nagasaki

[Round Structure]
- East-West League Round: Within the East-West League (EAST, WEST), a double round-robin tournament will be held using a home-and-away format.
- Interleague Round: Teams from different groups play a round-robin tournament.
- Playoff Round: Based on the results of the East-West League Round and the Interleague Round, the top two teams from each group will participate in a tournament of four teams, while teams ranked 3rd and below will compete in a home-and-away format to determine the final Pos. The 6th place team in the East will not participate in the playoff round.

[Event Period]
Section 1: One of the following dates: August 22nd (Sat), 23rd (Sun), or 24th (Mon), 2026
- Playoff Round Finals and Third Place Match: Around the third week of April 2027
*Details regarding each date, including the venue, will be announced in mid-July for the 2026 event and in late December for the 2027 event.
*As part of the winter break, no Trial will be held from late December 2026 to mid-February 2027.

[Tournament Special Page]
https://www.jleague.jp/special/u-21

[Regarding U-21 participation in the J.League]
https://www.urawa-reds.co.jp/topteamtopics/227378/