The J. League has built up a richly deserved reputation for leadership and vision since it began two decades ago, but this week's decision to revert to a two-stage championship risks setting the Japanese game back by years.
The J. League on Tuesday announced that it will implement a new split-season format as of 2015, ending 10 years of single-league competition in a bid to lure back lost fans, sponsors and broadcast revenues.
Under the new system, the champion of the first stage will meet the runnerup of the second and vice versa, with the two winners playing off to determine which team faces the side that finished the season with the most overall points in the championship final.