JLA (Czechia) 2020/21

JLA is the top-tier U20 ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1995 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, it replaced the previous U18 structure. The competition operates as the primary feeder for the senior Czech Extraliga and serves as the highest level of the junior pyramid.

The league currently consists of 16 clubs. The season format is complex, beginning with a 30-game double round-robin regular season. After this phase, the league splits into two groups. The top eight teams play a triple round-robin for playoff seeding, while the bottom eight play for qualification and relegation. A "play-in" round determines the final four playoff spots. Playoffs are best-of-5 for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and best-of-7 for the final.

Promotion and relegation exist between the JLA and the second-tier Liga juniorů. The last-place team in the Extraliga is relegated, and the Liga juniorů champion is promoted. The league has undergone several name changes due to sponsorship, including Lion, Deli, DHL, and Komerční banka. A structural reform known as the "Juniorská liga akademií" occurred between 2019 and 2021. Age standards shifted from U18 to U21 in 2011/12, and finally to U20 in 2016/17.

The most recent champion is HC Dynamo Pardubice. The all-time most successful clubs are HC Slavia Praha and HC Oceláři Třinec, each with four titles. The league is distinct from other European junior leagues due to its multi-stage regular season and play-in format. It serves as the direct domestic development path for the Czech national team and senior league.