Skip to main content

Corporate League Expected to Relax Regulations On Transferring Teams

On Feb. 7 it was learned that the Japan Industrial Track and Field Association (JITA), the governing body of the nation's corporate running league, plans to relax regulations concerning athletes transferring teams. Currently, if a team does not grant an athlete an amicable release, the athlete is barred indefinitely from signing with another team. The new regulations are expected to reduce that period to a maximum of one year. The JITA Board of Directors is expected to formally approve the change on Feb. 8.

The rule indefinitely barring athletes from signing with another team without the consent of their former team was put in place due to cases in the past where teams fell apart due to runners' transfer to other teams. However, after examining the issue, the national Fair Trade Commission ruled that the regulations were a likely violation of antitrust law and asked the JITA to make changes. The weakness of the athletes' position and their resulting liability to abuses of power from above were also identified as problems. Under the new regulations, athletes will be free to sign with other teams and to participate in JITA-sponsored events after a one-year waiting period regardless of whether their previous team has granted them a release.

In addition, JITA plans to extend the deadline for registration of athletes eligible to participate in the New Year Ekiden national championships from the end of September to the end of December. If approved, the change will keep the market for athlete transfers open until right before the Jan. 1 race. This would allow athletes to compete for who they want, but there are concerns that it will result in smaller teams losing their star athletes.

source article:
https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/202002070000803.html
translated by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Metts said…
I think this can be both a positive and a negative. Its good that athletes can transfer, but like the last paragraph,sentence, mentions, it could hurt smaller teams. Especially if a start runner on a relatively small team jumps to a high-powered team. But has the smaller team even made to the New Year's Ekiden? If not, maybe its not a problem, but it is a problem, if the small team is counting on the star runner to help bring in more star runners the next year and so on. Either way the smaller team could lose out. But to be fair to the star runner, like in baseball, soccer etc. it gives them a chance to compete and run with more star runners if the opportunity was not there before.
February 8, 2020 at 12:32 PM
Unknown said…
This will be a win win to bigger teams especially in new year ekiden.advantages n disadvantage at the same times.
February 8, 2020 at 5:52 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more

Mashiko Breaks U20 5000 m NR - Weekend Track Roundup

Saturday's Kanakuri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto was the weekend's main event in Japanese track, but there were good results at the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama too. Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) led the men's 5000 m A-heat at Kanakuri in 13:14.06, with Tomonori Yamaguchi (SGH) clocking the fastest Japanese time in 13:16.38 in his first race as a corporate leaguer. Waseda University duo Rui Suzuki and Yota Mashiko went 6-7 in 13:20.64 and 13:22.87, the 18-year-old Mashiko shaving 0.04 off the U20 NR. In 8th, Yamato Yoshii (Toyota) ran a PB of 13:23.92. 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura (Subaru) continued to struggle after a weak indoor season, finishing 18th of 20 finishers in 13:45.10. 19-year-old Festus Kimorwo (Kurosaki Harima) was under 13:20 in the B-heat too, winning in a 13:19.59 PB. 2 more collegiate men broke 13:30, Daichi Fujita (Chuo Univ.) 8th in 13:28.93 and Riki Koike (Soka Univ.) 9th in 13:29.09. The top 6 in the men's 800 m A-hea...
Post a Comment
Read more