Japan: Fujifilm refuses to play Obic as X League rules dispute boils over

The Fujifilm Ebina Minerva AFC (2-2) refused to take the field against the unbeaten Obic Seagulls (5-0) Sunday, turning an escalating dispute over Obic’s violations of X League Premier professional-player rules into a 1-0 forfeit victory for the Seagulls.

The game was scheduled for Ebina Sports Park Athletics Stadium, but Minerva withdrew after saying it could not be assured that the matchup would be played under fair conditions.

Obic violations spark dispute

The controversy began after the X League found that Obic had violated regulations limiting the number of professional-player contracts. The league initially issued a warning to a player and suspended team representative Ken Namikawa and general manager Takuya Furuya.

The investigation continued, with additional sanctions announced Sept. 11.

Against that backdrop, Fujifilm Ebina Minerva said it joined six other X Premier clubs in submitting a formal request to the league, its disciplinary committee and Obic, seeking answers by Sept. 11.

Among other demands, the clubs wanted clarification over which players were registered under the permitted professional contracts, a review of the eligibility of the player at the center of the violation and league verification that Obic’s game rosters complied with the rules.

Minerva says questions remained

According to Minerva, satisfactory answers did not arrive by the deadline.

The league later told the club that it had strongly requested that Obic hold five players out of the game. Minerva, however, said those five players had not been specifically identified and Obic had not provided a concrete response.

That became more than a competitive-integrity issue for Minerva. The club said entering an American football game without knowing which players were involved also raised player-safety concerns.

Minerva ultimately decided it could not play.

X League draws a line

The X League acknowledged the seriousness of Obic’s violations but rejected the idea that the disciplinary dispute allowed another member club to skip an official game.

Under league regulations, teams are required to participate in scheduled games. The league ruled that discipline involving Obic and Minerva’s obligation to play were separate issues, warning that allowing clubs to decide for themselves whether to participate would undermine the competition.

The game was therefore canceled and awarded to Obic 1-0 under the league’s forfeit rule.

The dispute may not be finished. The X League said it will now review Minerva’s refusal to play, including whether further disciplinary action is warranted.