Football bureaucracy is terrible, isn’t it? Procedural hindrances plague Japan’s football system like you wouldn’t believe. J2 took a body blow goal to its autonomy at season's end, this year. Let us file the paperwork accordingly.

J2, as the acronym hints, is Japanese football's second tier. Similar to the Football League in England, which manages the Championship as well as League One and Two, the JLeague governs the country's top three levels. Together, they comprise the professional leagues. Promotion from J2 means trips to the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka with filled stadiums and the opportunity to play in the Asian Champions League.

Relegation to J3 means absurd journeys to islands way off the beaten track and playing in towns where public bathing is more popular than football. See Okinawa and Gunma for example. J2 is the middle ground but everyone wants the top flight prosperity. Hence, it's important to facilitate the teams' movement in good fashion.

Yet the J.League has its own vision of who should and shouldn’t be promoted. Teams must have licenses to perform at specific levels. In order to play in J3, you must fill certain criteria. J2, you must have a little bit more of than prior and so on and so forth. The motivation is to ensure the leagues are populated with thriving teams which are sustainable. Yes, the entire English pyramid is run with similar requirements but there are options for teams with stadium difficulties and the like. Clubs who have earned promotion in the professional leagues are rarely turned back. Japan is not so accommodating.

This year, Machida Zelvia stormed to the summit of J2 and for the bulk of the season looked like they’d go on to win the title. The would-be champions, however, do not possess a J1 license. Under official rules, it means they keep the accolade of being champions but forego all the tangible rewards of promotion. It’s a bit like winning a car with no motor, brakes or tyres. The club had originally planned to apply for its J1 license next season, yet with Nakashima firing on all cylinders, they fast-tracked the application. Declined. “Not enough fans, the stadium is too small and you have no independent training facility. Come back next year”.

An extraordinary answer. Permission to join the Football League can be rescinded, but usually with direct instructions on how to reverse the decision. In most cases, football associations want to reward positive performances with promotion. While the consortium deliberated over Machida Zelvia's fate, the squad was unable to play with the same gusto. September was statistically one of their worst months, with just the lone win with from four games played.

In many ways, the J.League became a self-fulfilling prophecy with the decision. They stopped the progression of the club themselves. Allowing them passage to J1 would facilitate the growth of the club performances declares worthy of J1.