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.[1][2] Indian Women's League, founded in 2016, is the highest level of women's football club competition in India.[3]
Men's
The Indian men's football league system consists of the top 3 national divisions organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and partners. From tier 4 are the various regional state football leagues, organized by the respective state associations under AIFF affiliation.
| Level | League | Organiser |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Super League 11 clubs | AIFF FSDL |
| ↓↑ (relegation from 2024–25) | ||
| 2 | I-League 12 clubs | AIFF |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 3 | I-League 2 20 clubs | AIFF |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 4–10 | State leagues | State FAs |
Detailed pyramid
| Level | League(s) / Division(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National leagues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Indian Super League 12 clubs ↓ relegation from 2024-25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | I-League 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | I-League 2 20 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate provisionally | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State leagues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State level | West Bengal | Maharastra [note 1] | Tamil Nadu [note 2] | Delhi | Jammu and Kashmir | Karnataka [note 3] | Odisha | Meghalaya [note 4] | Manipur | Assam [note 5] | Goa | Punjab | Sikkim | Tripura | Mizoram | Arunachal Pradesh | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Gujarat | Himachal Pradesh | Jharkhand | Kerala [note 6] | Madhya Pradesh | Nagaland | Rajasthan | Telangana | Uttar Pradesh [note 7] | Uttarakhand | Pondicherry | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Ladakh | |
| 4 | 1 | CFL Premier Division ↓relegate | MFA Elite League ↓relegate | CFA Senior Division ↓relegate | Delhi Premier League ↓relegate | J&K Premier Football League ↓relegate | Bangalore Super Division ↓relegate | FAO Diamond League ↓relegate | Shillong Premier League ↓relegate | Manipur State League ↓relegate | Assam State Premier League (GSA Super Division Football League) ↓relegate | Goa Professional League ↓relegate | Punjab State Super Football League ↓relegate | Sikkim Premier League ↓relegate | Chandra Memorial A Division League ↓relegate | Mizoram Premier League ↓relegate | Indrajit Namchoom Arunachal League | Bihar State Soccer League | Chhattisgarh State Men's Football League Championship | Gujarat SFA Club Championship | Himachal Football League | JSA League[4] | Kerala Premier League | Madhya Pradesh Premier League | Nagaland Premier League | R-League A Division | Telangana Rahim League | Lucknow Super Division | Uttarakhand Super League | Pondicherry Men's League Championship | DD Senior Division League / DNH Senior Division League | Ladakh Football League |
| 5 | 2 | CFL Premier Division B ↑promote ↓relegate | MFA Super Division ↑promote ↓relegate | First Division ↑promote ↓relegate | FD Senior Division League ↑promote ↓relegate | J&K Super Division ↑promote ↓relegate | Bangalore League A Division ↑promote ↓relegate | FAO Gold League ↑promote ↓relegate | First Division League ↑promote ↓relegate | AMFA Cup ↑promote ↓relegate | GSA A Division Football League ↑promote ↓relegate | GFA 1st Division League ↑promote ↓relegate | Punjab State League Second Division ↑promote ↓relegate | Sikkim B Division ↑promote ↓relegate | Chandra Memorial B Division League ↑promote ↓relegate | Mizoram 1st Division League ↑promote | single division | |||||||||||||||
| 6 | 3 | CFL First Division ↑promote ↓relegate | MFA Division One ↑promote ↓relegate | Second Division ↑promote ↓relegate | FD A-Division ↑promote ↓relegate | J&K A-Division ↑promote ↓relegate | Bangalore League B Division ↑promote ↓relegate | FAO Silver League ↑promote ↓relegate | Second Division League ↑promote ↓relegate | Thangjam Birchandra-Maipakpi Memorial Winners' Cup ↑promote ↓relegate | GSA B Division Football League ↑promote ↓relegate | GFA 2nd Division League ↑promote | Punjab State League Third Division ↑promote | Sikkim C Division ↑promote | Chandra Memorial C Division League ↑promote | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 4 | CFL Second Division ↑promote ↓relegate | MFA Division Two ↑promote ↓relegate | Third Division ↑promote ↓relegate | FD B-Division ↑promote ↓relegate | J&K B-Division ↑promote | Bangalore League C Division | FAO 2nd Division League ↑promote | Third Division League ↑promote | Manipur District Leagues ↑promote | GSA C Division Football League ↑promote | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 5 | CFL Third Division ↑promote ↓relegate | MFA Division Three ↑promote | Fourth division ↑promote | FD C-Division ↑promote | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 6 | CFL Fourth Division ↑promote ↓relegate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 7 | CFL Fifth Division ↑promote | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Evolution
| Leagues | Years | 1888 | 1893–1898 | 1898–1941 | 1941–1977 | 1977–1996 | 1996–1997 | 1997–2001 | 2001–2006 | 2006–2007 | 2007–2011 | 2011–2014 | 2014–2017 | 2017–2022 | 2022– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | None | 1893 | 1937 | |||||||||||||
| National leagues | 1 | Formation of Indian Football Association (IFA) | Calcutta Football League | Formation of All India Football Federation (AIFF) | Santosh Trophy | National Football League | I-League | Indian Super League | Indian Super league | |||||||
| I-League | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | None | None | NFL Second Division | I-League 2nd Division | I-League | |||||||||||
| 3 | None | NFL Third Division | Discontinued | I-League 2 | ||||||||||||
| Regional leagues | 4–10 | Indian State Leagues | ||||||||||||||
| Tournaments/Cups | Durand Cup | Durand Cup | ||||||||||||||
| IFA Shield | IFA Shield | |||||||||||||||
| Federation Cup | Super Cup | |||||||||||||||
| Indian Super Cup | Discontinued | |||||||||||||||
| Santosh Trophy | ||||||||||||||||
| Indian Super League | Declared as joint top tier leagues along with I-League | Declared as the highest tier league | ||||||||||||||
History of the Indian league system's national tiers
| Professional leagues (Indian Super League, I-League) |
| Amateur/Semi-professional leagues |
| Inter-state championship |
| Year | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 and under |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941–1996 | Santosh Trophy | State football leagues | ||
| 1996–1997 | National Football League | State football leagues | ||
| 1997–2006 | National Football League | National Football League Division 2 | State football leagues | |
| 2006–2007 | National Football League | National Football League Division 2 | National Football League Division 3 | State football leagues |
| 2007–2017 | I-League | I-League Division 2 | State football leagues | |
| 2017–2022 | I-League and Indian Super League | I-League Division 2 | State football leagues | |
| 2022–present | Indian Super League | I-League | I-League 2 | State football leagues |
Women's
The women's football league system in India currently consists of 1 top tier national league i.e. Indian Women's League, organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). From tier 2 are the State football leagues, organized by regional state associations under AIFF affiliation, in the league tier pyramid of women's football in India.
Current system
| Level | League(s) / Division(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Women's League | |||
| ↑ Variable (League and Qualifier winners, depending on licensing criteria) | ||||
| 2 | State leagues (qualifiers) | |||
History of the Indian women's league system's national tiers
| Professional leagues (Indian Women's League) |
| Amateur/Semi-professional leagues |
| Inter-state championship |
| Year | Tier 1 | Tier 2 and under |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–2016 | Senior Women's National Football Championship | State football leagues |
| 2016–present | Indian Women's League | State football leagues |
Youth
Boys
| Level | Competition | Age category |
|---|---|---|
| National | Reliance Foundation Development League | Under-21 |
| Elite League | Under-18 | |
| Junior League | Under-15 | |
| Sub-Junior League | Under-13 | |
| State | Various | |
National Football Championships
The National Football Championships are knock-out competitions contested among the regional state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation. Currently, six championship competitions are divided into age groups for both men and women. For sponsorship ties, it is referred to as Hero National Football Championships.
Senior NFC (Santosh Trophy)
The Santosh Trophy[5] is a men's football competition contested by the regional state associations and government institutions under the AIFF. Before starting 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[6] 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 & Sub-Junior NFC
The Junior National Football Championship or BC Roy Trophy[7] 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 played across the country.
The Sub Junior National Football Championship or Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy[8] 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 can participate in this championship through the qualifying round.
Junior Girls' NFC & Sub-Junior Girls' NFC
The U-19 Junior Girls' National Football Championship[9] was first introduced in the year 2001. This Championship National Level inter-state championship is played annually at one venue chosen by the AIFF Executive Committee. All affiliated State Associations of AIFF are eligible to participate in this Championship, played on a league-cum-knockout basis.
The U-17 Sub-Junior Girls' National Football Championship[10] was first introduced in the year 2003, which was held at Ooty, Tamil Nadu. 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, played on a league-cum-knockout basis.
Proposed system 2023-2026
On 7 January 2023, the AIFF unveiled 'Vision 2047,' a new roadmap for Indian football with the planned reform in India's league system. The following table is for the season 2026–27 onwards.[11][12]
Men's
| Level | League | Organiser |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Super League 14 clubs | AIFF FSDL |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 2 | I-League 14 clubs | AIFF |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 3 | I-League 2 12 clubs | AIFF |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 4 | 5 Zonal Leagues 12 clubs each | AIFF |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 5 | 36 State Leagues 10 clubs each | State FAs |
| ↓↑ | ||
| 6–n | 60+ City / District Leagues minimum 8 clubs each | State / District FAs |
Women's
| Level | League(s) / Division(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Women's League | |||
| ↓↑ | ||||
| 2 | IWL 2nd Division | |||
| ↓↑ | ||||
| 3 | Zonal Division | |||
| ↓↑ | ||||
| 4 | State Leagues | |||
Youth
| Structure | Age category | Participants | Minimum matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | |||
| Elite League | Under-21 | Elite licensed academies and professional clubs | 35 |
| Under-19 | |||
| Elite and state youth league | Under-17 | State youth league champions | |
| Under-15 | |||
| Under-13 | |||
| Girls | |||
| Institutional league | TBD | works association clubs | 14 |
| Elite League | 18 to 22 | Universities | |
| Elite and state youth league | Under-17 | State youth league champions | |
| Under-15 | |||
| Under-13 | |||
Proposed League structure Vision 2047
2023–2026
AIFF has broken down ‘Vision 2047’ into six four-year strategic plans. The first of these will look to cover the period till 2026. According to this plan, in the 2026 Indian football season, 40 clubs will participate in ISL(14 clubs), I-League (14 clubs), and I-League 2 (12 clubs). Moreover, 60 clubs will participate in 5 zonal leagues with a minimum of 12 teams in each zone. [13]
However, in AIFF's new strategic plan for 2026, the number of teams in the current leagues must be increased. By the 2026 season, I-League 2 must be rebranded to a full league format with at least 12 teams with relegation and promotion. In the 2026 season, State FA league champions won't promote directly to I-League 2. SFA champions will promote their respective Zonal league, and Then each Zonal league champion will play the I-League-2 qualifier.
| Pyramid (P) | Tier (T) | No of Teams (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| National level P-1 | Indian Super League (T-1) | 14 teams |
| I-League (T-2) | 14 teams | |
| I-League 2 (T-3) | 12 teams | |
| Zonal Level P-2 | I-League 2 qualifier. (T-4) | 5 Zonal champions. |
| Zonal Leagues. (T-5) | 60 - teams (12 teams in 5 Zone) | |
| Zonal League Qualifier (T-6) | Various SFA champions. | |
| State level P-3 | State football leagues First Division Leagues (T-7) | Minimum 10 teams |
| Second Division Leagues (T-8) | Minimum 10 teams | |
| State League Qualifier (T-9) | Various Districts champions. | |
| Districts level P-4 | Districts Division Leagues (T-10) | Various teams |
2026–2030
Regional League and Zonal League
According to Vision 2047, there will be 40 clubs in various national leagues when the first strategic plan is completed by the 2026 season. Also, there will be 60 clubs in 5 zonal leagues. There will also be 300-450 clubs in 30-35 State Football Associations leagues. The state football associations produce 30-35 state champions every season. The proposed system is unable to accommodate these SFA champions. This will pave the way for revamping the zonal league into a new structure.[14]
Regional League
All SFAs under AIFF are divided into two regions to form a Regional league below I-League 2. The bottom teams in I-League 2 will relegate to Regional League, and the champions of the Regional League will promote to I-League 2.
The bottom teams in Regional League will relegate to the Zonal league. Zonal League champions will promote to Regional League.[15]
Zonal League
Currently, the zones are divided geographically. The five zones are North, West, East, South, and North-East. As per the new system, zones are divided in proportion to the number of SFAs. According to this, there will be 8/12 zones instead of the current 5 zones. Each season SFA League Champions will be promoted to each Zonal League, and teams who finish bottom in Zonal League will be relegated to SFA Leagues. Zonal league champions will be promoted to regional leagues.[16]
According to the Vision 2047, after completing the second strategic plan in 2030, the Indian football structure would be like this.[17]
| Pyramid (P) | Tier (T) | No of Teams (2030) |
|---|---|---|
| National level P-1 | Indian Super League (T-1) | 14- 20 teams |
| I-League (T-2) | 14- 20 teams | |
| I-League 2 (T-3) | 12-20 teams | |
| Regional Level P-2 | Regional League - North. (T-4) | Minimum 12 teams. |
| Regional League - South. (T-4) | Minimum 12 teams. | |
| Zonal Level P-3 | Zonal League - North groups. (T-5) | 48-72 teams (12 teams in 4/6groups) |
| Zonal Leagues South groups. (T-5) | 48-72 teams (12 teams in 4/6groups) | |
| State level P-4 | State football leagues First Division Leagues (T-6) | Minimum 10 teams |
| Second Division Leagues (T-7) | Minimum 10 teams | |
| State League Qualifier (T-8) | Various Districts champions. | |
| Districts level P-5 | Districts Division Leagues (T-9) | Various teams |
Notes
- ^ Not a state-level, rather a district league and clubs from Mumbai participate. Other district leagues also operate.
- ^ Not a state-level, rather a district league and clubs from Chennai participate. Other district leagues also operate.
- ^ Not a state-level, rather a district league and clubs from Bangalore participate.
- ^ Not a state-level, rather a district league and clubs from Shillong participate. A state-level Meghalaya State League was held twice, in 2018 and 2019.
- ^ The state-level league was held from 2008 till 2015 but hasn't been held since. The district league has been held since 1998, and clubs from Guwahati participate. Other district leagues also operate.
- ^ Various district Leagues make the lower tiers
- ^ Not a state-level, rather a district league and clubs from Lucknow participate.
See also
References
- ^ "AFC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE APPROVE INDIAN FOOTBALL ROADMAP". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ "The AFC". the-AFC. from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ Rohan Puri (21 April 2016). "Women's football league from October | Football News - Times of India". The Times of India. from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "JSA League 'A' Division 2022 Fixtures Announced". Jamshedpur Football Club. 8 June 2022. from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Hero Senior NFC". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Hero Senior Women's NFC". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Hero Junior NFC". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Hero Sub Junior NFC". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Hero Junior Girl's NFC". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Hero Sub Junior Girl's NFC". www.the-aiff.com. from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Vision 2047, The Indian Football strategic roadmap" (PDF). AIFF. 7 January 2023.
- ^ "'We dream of reviving the glory days of Indian Football,' says Kalyan Chaubey at the launch of 'Vision 2047'". AIFF. 7 January 2023.
- ^ "AIFF vision 2047 and strategic plan for 2026" (PDF). Retrieved 17 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIFF vision 2047 and strategic plan for 2026" (PDF). Retrieved 17 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIFF vision 2047 and strategic plans" (PDF). Retrieved 17 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIFF vision 2047 and strategic plan" (PDF). Retrieved 17 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIFF vision 2047" (PDF). Retrieved 17 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
- Official website of AIFF