is a soocer league based in five prefectures in the Hokushinetsu region, which comprises Hokuriku and Shin'etsu in Japan. They are (Nagano, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui). It is a league of club teams registered in Class 1. Its name is abbreviated HFL.
Overview The Hokushi'netsu Football League, one of nine Japanese regional leagues, it began in 1975 and if the JFL is considered as the fourth tier in the league structure of Japanese football, then the Hokushin'etsu's first division is the fifth tier, and the second division is the sixth tier. In 2004, the name was changed to the current Hokushin'etsu Football League. With the addition of the top clubs from each prefecture's first division, the system became a two-division system.
The teams compete for promotion to the Japan Football League and try to avoid relegation to the Prefectural Leagues. The current champions of Division 1 and Division 2 are Toyama Shinjo Club and FC Matsucelona (ja), respectively.
As of the end of 2024 season, there two teams equal with the most championship titles in the league’s history, they are Fukui United and the now defunct YKK AP SC with eleven titles each. The league has seen a variety of champions over the years, including Nissei Plastic Industrial, Fukui Teachers, Yamaga, Niigata Eleven, Teihens, Hokuriku Electric Power, Albirex Niigata, ALO's Hokuriku, Nagano Elza, Kanazawa S.C., Matsumoto Yamaga, Nagano Parceiro, Japan Soccer College, Saurcos Fukui, and Artista Tomi.
2026 clubs Division 1 Team Hometown Previous Season's Position Notes1Artista AsamaTōmi, Nagano5th2Fukui UnitedFukui, Fukui2nd3FC HokurikuKanazawa, Ishikawa7th4Japan Soccer CollegeSeiro, Niigata3rd5FC Matsucelona (ja) Matsumoto, Nagano1st (2nd Division)Promoted as Division 2 champions6Niigata University of Health and Welfare FC (ja)Niigata, Niigata4th7Niigata University of ManagementKamo, Niigata6th8Toyama Shinjo ClubToyama, Toyama1stChampions
Division 2 Team Hometown Previous Season's Position Notes1FC Abies (ja)Chino, Nagano5th2Joganji Toyama Toyama1st (HCL)Promoted from Hokushin'etsu Challenge league in 1st place3Kanazawa Gakuin University FCKanazawa, Ishikawa6th4Libertas Chikuma (ja) Chikuma, Nagano2nd (HCL)Promoted from Hokushin'etsu Challenge league in 2nd place5SR Komatsu (ja) Komatsu, Ishikawa8th (Division 1)Relegated from Division 16NUHW FCNiigata City, Niigata2ndNot promoted due to links with Niigata University of Health and Welfare FC in top division7N-Style Toyama (ja)Toyama City, Toyama4th8Sakai Phoenix (ja)Sakai, Fukui3rd
Hokushin'etsu Soccer League Champions
Edition Year Winner (Division 1)11975YKK (1)21976Nissei Plastic Industrial (1)31977Nissei Plastic Industrial (2)41978Nissei Plastic Industrial (3)51979Nissei Plastic Industrial (4)61980Fukui Teachers (1)71981YKK (2)81982Nissei Plastic Industrial (5)91983Nissei Plastic Industrial (6)101984YKK (3)111985Yamaga (1)121986Niigata Eleven (1)131987Nissei Plastic Industrial (7)141988YKK (4)151989YKK (5)161990YKK (6)171991Teihens (1)181992YKK (7)191993YKK (8)201994Hokuriku Electric Power (1)211995YKK (9)221996Albirex Niigata (2)231997Albirex Niigata (3)241998ALO's Hokuriku (2)251999YKK (10)262000YKK (11)272001Nissei Plastic Industrial (8)282002Nagano Elsa (1)292003Japan Soccer College (1)302004Kanazawa S.C. (1)312005Nagano Elsa (2)322006Japan Soccer College (2)332007Matsumoto Yamaga (2)342008Nagano Parceiro (3)352009Japan Soccer College (3)362010Nagano Parceiro (4)372011Japan Soccer College (4)382012Saurcos Fukui (1)392013Saurcos Fukui (2)402014Saurcos Fukui (3)412015Saurcos Fukui (4)422015Artista Tomi (1)432017Saurcos Fukui (5)442018Saurcos Fukui (6)452019Fukui United (7)462020 Fukui United (8)472021 Fukui United (9)482022 Artista Asama (2)492023Fukui United (10)502024Fukui United (11)512025Toyama Shinjo Club (1)522026
Edition Year Winner (Division 2)12004Niigata University of Management (1)22005Matsumoto Yamaga (1)32006Valiente Toyama (1)42007Gran Sena Niigata FC (1)52008FC Ueda Genshan (1)62009CUPS Seiro (1)72010Artista Togo (1)82011Toyama Shinjo Club (1)92012Valiente Toyama (2)102013FC Ueda Genshan (2)112014Okuetsu FC (1)122015FC Hokuriku (1)132016Hokuriku University Futures (1)142017FC Ueda Genshan (3)152018Hokuriku University Futures (2)162019Niigata University of Health and Welfare FC (1)172020 '09 Keidai FC (1)182021 Libertas Chikuma (1)192022 FC Hokuriku (2)202023Sakai Phoenix (1)212024NUHW FC (1) 222025FC Matsucelona (1)232026
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