# Japan Football Association strategic developments > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/japan-football-association-strategic-developments > Updated: 2026-08-16T00:56:11.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. The Japan Football Association (JFA) has introduced several strategic initiatives aimed at improving officiating, domestic competition, and the growth of women’s football. Regarding officiating, the JFA expressed frustration that no Japanese officials were appointed as main referees for any matches during the 2026 North American World Cup. Chairman Kenji Sōgaya stated the association intends to secure main-referee assignments for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments by improving evaluation and exchange programs. Additionally, the JFA announced new competition rules for the 2026/27 J-League season, including time limits for substitutions, throw-ins, and goal-kicks to increase game tempo. In terms of long-term development, the JFA launched its ‘Women’s General Strategy’ as part of its 2026–2031 Growth Strategy. This initiative seeks to elevate women’s football to a high-growth market by improving competitive performance in international competitions and doubling the number of participants in the sport. President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto noted that while progress has been made since the 2011 World Cup, the association must still address challenges regarding regional playing environments and the availability of female coaches and referees. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-16: Japan Football Association announces new women's football strategy The Japan Football Association unveiled a new strategy for 2026–2031 to boost women’s football, aiming for major international titles and doubling the sport's domestic participation. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japan-football-association-announces-new-womens-football-strategy ### 2026-07-20: Japanese Football Association aims for main referee slots at future World Cups JFA highlights the lack of Japanese main referees at the 2026 World Cup and pledges to achieve such roles for 2030‑34, while unveiling new J‑League timing rules to speed up play. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japanese-soccer-referees-miss-main-roles-at-2026-world-cup-jfa-vows-to-change --- Cite as: Japan Football Association strategic developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/japan-football-association-strategic-developments