Indian football league system

The Indian football league system is the league structure of football club competitions in India. The highest level of men's club football competition in India is the Indian Super League along with I-League (until 2022),^[1][2] which was founded in 1996 as National Football League. Indian Women's League, founded in 2016, is the highest level of women's football club competition in India.^[3] The Santosh Trophy is men's knock-out football competition contested among the regional state associations and government institutions under All India Football Federation, the sport's governing body. Similarly Senior Women's National Football Championship is women's football tournament, contested among the state associations and government institutions under the AIFF.

Men's club football[]

Pyramid[]

Indian Super League[]

Founded in 2013, Indian Super League was introduced in an effort to make football a top sport in India.^[4] The league started operating along the lines of the Twenty20 cricket Indian Premier League, and Major League Soccer of the United States.^[5] The league was recognised by AFC and FIFA in 2017. During the inaugural editions ISL didn't follow the promotion and relegation system. However in 2019 according to the AFC roadmap for the development of Indian football league system it is decided that ISL will follow the promotion & relegation with I-League starting effectively from 2024 season. In July 2017, it was proposed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that the Indian Super League champion be granted a spot in the AFC Cup, Asia's second-tier club competition.^[6] On 25 July 2017, the AFC approved the AIFF's proposal. Thus, from the 2017–18 season, the Indian Super League champions were allowed to participate in the AFC Cup from the qualification stages of the competition.^[6] Meanwhile, India's spot in the AFC Champions League, Asia's top club competition, was still kept by the I-League,^[6] thus two leagues were parallelly running in the country. In the October 2019 roadmap for development of league in India it was proposed and all stakeholders accepted the proposal that ISL champions would be entitled to the AFC Champions League group stages starting from 2021 edition and the I-League champion will get to play the AFC Cup spot.^[7]

I-League[]

National Football League, established in 1996 by governing body All India Football Federation (AIFF) was the first "professional" club football competition in India. The League was restructured as I-League in 2006. In I-League each season the bottom two clubs are relegated and replaced by two from the I-League 2nd Division. I-League currently is the joint top domestic football league in India (until 2022) along with the ISL. The I-League champions were granted to participate in the AFC Champions League Qualification slot till 2020 edition but as per new roadmap announced in October 2019 by AFC, the ISL champions would now be entitled to the AFC Champions League group stage, starting from 2021 edition, and the I-League champion will get to play the AFC Cup group stage.

I-League 2nd Division[]

The I-League 2nd Division ranks second in the hierarchy of Indian football since the disbanding of India's top league in 2005. The I-League 2nd Division had 16 member clubs divided among three divisions for the 2018–19 season. Promotion and relegation takes place between the I-league, I-League 2nd Division and state leagues.

State Leagues[]

States leagues are the state level regional club football competitions of different states organised by the state associations under AIFF in India. Clubs are promoted from state leagues to I-League 2nd division.

Evolution in tier system[]

Women's club football[]

Indian Women's League[]

The Indian Women's League is the top tier club competition of women's professional football in India. The inaugural edition of the competition kicked off in Cuttack on October 2016.^[8] The league is organised by All India Football Federation (AIFF). The winner of the competition qualifies for the AFC Women's Club Championship, the top tier women's club football competition in Asia.

State Leagues[]

States leagues are the state level regional club football competitions of different states organised by the state associations under AIFF in India. Clubs are promoted from state leagues to Indian Women's League.

Youths' club football[]

The Elite League is a system of youth football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the All India Football Federation. It consists of 3 age groups competitions: U18 (Elite Youth League), U15 (Junior League) and U13 (Sub-Junior League). The Elite League was previously known as I-League U18, I-League U19 and I-League U20.^[9] It is the top level of youth football in India, contested among the under-18 sides of The I-League teams, Indian Super League teams, as well as other youth teams.

National Football Championships[]

The National Football Championships are football knock-out competitions contested among the regional state associations and government institutions under the AIFF. Currently there are 6 championship competitions divided as age groups for both men and women. For sponsorship ties it is referred as Hero National Football Championships.

Senior NFC (Santosh Trophy)[]

The Santosh Trophy^[10] is a men's football knock-out competition contested by the regional state associations and government institutions under the AIFF. Before the starting of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic championship in India.

Senior Women's NFC[]

Senior Women's National Football Championship^[11] is the women's football tournament which is contested among the regional state, territory federations and government institutions of India. It began to play in 1991. The league consisted of 30 teams for the 2019-20 season.

Junior NFC[]

The Junior National Football Championship^[12] is for the Junior age groups, which was started in 1962. All affiliated State Units of AIFF are eligible to participate in this championship through the two tiers of the competition which is played across the country.

Sub-Junior NFC[]

The Sub Junior National Football Championship^[13] is a national level inter-state championship for boys under the age of 16, which was started in 1977. All affiliated State Units of AIFF are eligible to participate in this championship through the qualifying round.

Junior Girls' NFC[]

The U-19 Junior Girls' National Football Championship^[14] was first introduced in the year 2001. This championship National Level inter-state championship, which is played every year at one venue chosen by the AIFF Executive Committee. All affiliated State Associations of AIFF are eligible to participate in this Championship, which is played on league-cum-knockout basis.

Sub-Junior Girls' NFC[]

The U-17 Sub-Junior Girls' National Football Championship^[15] was first introduced in the year 2003, which was held at Ooty, Tamilnadu. This championship is a national level inter-state championship, which is played every year at one venue chosen by the AIFF Executive Committee. All affiliated State Associations of AIFF are eligible to participate in this Championship, which is played on league-cum-knockout basis.

Futsal competitions[]

Men's futsal[]

Futsal Club Championship[]

The Futsal Club Championship^[16] is the highest level club futsal competition in India organised by AIFF. On 10 December 2019, the AIFF executive committee decided that futsal club competition will be part of their calendar from 2020 season onwards.^[17] This competition acts as qualifier for the AFC Futsal Club Championship, the highest level club futsal competition in Asia.

State Futsal Leagues[]

State Futsal leagues are regional state leagues organised by state federations under the AIFF affiliation.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website of AIFF