Country | India |
---|---|
Sport | Association football |
Promotion and relegation | Yes [note 1] |
National system | |
Federation | All India Football Federation |
Confederation | AFC |
Top division |
|
Second division |
|
Cup competition | |
Association football in India |
The Indian football league system is the league structure of football club competitions in India. The highest level of men's club football competition 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]
The Indian men's football league system consists of the top 4 national divisions organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and commercial partners FSDL. From tier 5 are the various regional state football leagues, organized by the respective state associations under AIFF affiliation.
Level | League(s) / Division(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National leagues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Indian Super League 13 clubs – ↓ relegation: TBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | I-League 12 clubs – 1 promotion ↑↓ 2 relegations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | I-League 2 8 clubs – 2 promotions ↑↓ 2 relegations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | I-League 3 25 clubs – 3 promotions ↑↓ relegation: TBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
State leagues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
State level | West Bengal | Delhi | Tamil Nadu [note 2] | Maharastra [note 3] | Assam [note 4] | Goa | Jammu and Kashmir | Karnataka [note 5] | Manipur | Meghalaya [note 6] | Odisha | Jharkhand | Punjab | Sikkim | Tripura | Ladakh | Mizoram | Arunachal Pradesh | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Gujarat | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Kerala [note 7] | Lakshadweep | Madhya Pradesh | Nagaland | Puducherry | Rajasthan | Telangana | Uttar Pradesh [note 8] | Uttarakhand | |||||
5 | 1 | CFL Premier Division ↑promote↓relegate | Delhi Premier League ↑promote↓relegate | CFA Senior Division ↑promote↓relegate | MFA Elite Division ↑promote↓relegate | PFL Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | NDFA Elite Division League ↑promote↓relegate | Kolhapur Senior League ↑promote↓relegate | Thane Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | Assam State Premier League ↑promote↓relegate | Goa Professional League ↑promote↓relegate | J&K Premier Football League ↑promote↓relegate | BDFA Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | Manipur State League ↑promote↓relegate | Meghalaya State League ↑promote↓relegate | FAO Diamond League ↑promote↓relegate | JSA League Premier Division ↑promote↓relegate | Punjab State Super Football League ↑promote↓relegate | Sikkim Premier Division League ↑promote↓relegate | Chandra Memorial A Division League ↑promote↓relegate | Ladakh Super League ↑promote↓relegate | Mizoram Premier League ↑promote↓relegate | Indrajit Namchoom Arunachal League ↑promote | Bihar State Soccer League ↑promote | Chhattisgarh State Men's Football League Championship ↑promote | DD Senior Division League / DNH Senior Division League ↑promote | Gujarat SFA Club Championship ↑promote | Haryana Men's Football League ↑promote | Himachal Football League ↑promote | Kerala Premier League ↑promote | Kavaratti Football League [4] ↑promote | Madhya Pradesh Premier League ↑promote | Nagaland Premier League ↑promote | Pondicherry Men's League Championship ↑promote | R-League A Division ↑promote | Rahim League A Division ↑promote | Lucknow Super Division ↑promote | Uttarakhand Super League ↑promote |
6 | 2 | CFL 1st Division ↑promote 2 ↓relegate 2 | FD Senior Division League ↑promote↓relegate | First Division ↑promote↓relegate | MFA Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | PFL Division One ↑promote↓relegate | NDFA Super Division League ↑promote↓relegate | 1 division | GSA A Division Football League ↑promote↓relegate | GFA 1st Division League ↑promote↓relegate | J&K Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | BDFA A Division ↑promote↓relegate | AMFA Cup ↑promote↓relegate | Shillong Premier League ↑promote↓relegate | FAO Gold League ↑promote↓relegate | JSA League Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | Punjab State League Second Division ↑promote↓relegate | Sikkim B Division ↑promote↓relegate | Chandra Memorial B Division League ↑promote↓relegate | Ladakh District Leagues ↑promote | Mizoram 1st Division League ↑promote | 1 division | ||||||||||||||||
7 | 3 | CFL 2nd Division ↑promote 2↓relegate 2 | FD A-Division ↑promote↓relegate | Second Division ↑promote↓relegate | MFA Division One ↑promote↓relegate | PFL Division Two ↑promote↓relegate | NDFA Senior Division League ↑promote↓relegate | GSA B Division Football League ↑promote↓relegate | GFA 2nd Division League ↑promote↓relegate | J&K A-Division ↑promote↓relegate | BDFA B Division ↑promote↓relegate | Thangjam Birchandra-Maipakpi Memorial Winners' Cup ↑promote↓relegate | Second Division League ↑promote↓relegate | FAO Silver League ↑promote↓relegate | JSA League A Division ↑promote | Punjab State League Third Division ↑promote | Sikkim C Division ↑promote | Chandra Memorial C Division League ↑promote | 2 divisions | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | 4 | CFL 3rd Division ↑promote 2↓relegate 2 | FD B-Division ↑promote↓relegate | Third Division ↑promote↓relegate | MFA Division Two ↑promote↓relegate | PFL Division Three ↑promote↓relegate | 3 divisions | GSA C Division Football League ↑promote | GFA 3rd Division League ↑promote | J&K B-Division ↑promote | BDFA C Division ↑promote | Manipur District Leagues ↑promote | Third Division League ↑promote | FAO 2nd Division League ↑promote | 3 divisions | |||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | 5 | CFL 4th Division ↑promote 2↓relegate 2 | FD C-Division ↑promote | Fourth Division ↑promote | MFA Division Three ↑promote | 4 divisions | 4 divisions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 6 | CFL 5th Division ↑promote 2 | 5 divisions |
Professional leagues |
Amateur/Semi-professional leagues |
Inter-state championship |
Year | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 and below |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1941–1996 | Santosh Trophy | State leagues | |||
1996–1997 | National Football League | State leagues (without top divisions) | |||
1997–2006 | National Football League | National Football League Division 2 | State leagues (without top divisions) | ||
2006–2007 | National Football League | National Football League Division 2 | National Football League Division 3 | State leagues (without top divisions) | |
2007–2017 | I-League | I-League Division 2 | State leagues (without top divisions) | ||
2017–2022 | I-League and Indian Super League | I-League Division 2 | State leagues (without top divisions) | ||
2022–2023 | Indian Super League | I-League | I-League 2 | State leagues (without top divisions) | |
2023–present | Indian Super League | I-League | I-League 2 | I-League 3 | State leagues (without top divisions) |
Founded in 1996, the National Football League was the first football league of India to be organised on a national scale, [5] in an aim to develop the sport & give platform for Indian footballers in a club league. However, due to several problems the league was defunct to make way for a new professional I-League.
After the end of 2006–07 season, AIFF disbanded the NFL after allegedly missing the full aim of professionalism. To replace NFL, AIFF introduced a fully professional I-League, with ten clubs from the last season of NFL participating in the maiden season of I-League. [6] The league was declared as joint top tier in 2019–20 season when AFC approved AIFF's proposal to demote the AFC Champions League slot, for the AFC Cup. Three seasons later the league was completely demoted to second tier status in Indian football, with the league champions now promoted to the Indian Super League.
The I-League suffered from lack of popularity due to poor marketing as the seasons passed by. [7] The deal between the Zee Sports and the AIFF, which was initially signed for a ten-year term in 2006, was terminated in 2010 after disagreement between both the parties. AIFF then signed a new 700-crore deal with Reliance Industries and the International Management Group on 9 December 2010. [8] The Indian Super League was officially launched on 21 October 2013 by IMG–Reliance, Star Sports, and the All India Football Federation with an aim of growing the sport of football in India and increasing its exposure in the country, this time with the big names and high professionalism. [9]
In 2017, The AFC were against allowing the ISL as the main league in India, while I-League clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan wanted a complete merger of the ISL and I-League. [10] A couple of weeks later, the AIFF proposed that both the Indian Super League and I-League should run simultaneously on a short–term basis, with the I-League winner qualifying for the AFC Champions League and the ISL champion to AFC Cup qualification stage. [11] The proposal from the AIFF was officially approved by the AFC on 25 July 2017. [12]
Two seasons later the AIFF and AFC announced in a meeting that the Indian Super League was officially the top-tier league of India with the AFC Champions League slot, while the I-League was with the AFC Cup slot. The first recommendation was to open a pathway for two I-League clubs to enter into the ISL by the end of the 2020–21 season, subject to the criteria being fulfilled. The second recommendation was allowing the winner of the I-League to stand a chance of getting promoted to the ISL with no participation fee, starting with the 2022–23 season. In its final recommendation it was agreed that the introduction of promotion and relegation into the top league would be implemented by the end of 2024–25 season, thus making ISL the top tier & I-League officially being 2nd tier competition. [13]
The NFL's second division was introduced by AIFF in 1997 to supplement the top division. [14] After the 2006–07 season, all the three tiers of NFL were defunct and replaced with I-League and I-League 2nd Division respectively.
The National Football League's second division was succeeded by the I-League 2nd Division in 2008. The state FAs nominated top teams from their respective state leagues to AIFF who then selected the clubs based on criteria. The number of clubs in this league varied each season. Since 2017–18 season, the league saw introduction of I-League reserve sides which weren't eligible for promotion since I-League was then the top division. [15] After I-League lost its top tier status, I-League 2nd division too was demoted to third tier, re-establishing India's third tier since NFL's Third Division in 2006.
Starting from the 2022–23 season, I-League lost its top-tier status. The champions of the 2022–23 I-League were promoted to the ISL with no participation fee. In its recommendation for 2024–25, it was agreed to fully implement promotion and relegation between the two leagues. [16]
Ten years after the formation of NFL, a third division was briefly introduced for one season in 2006 [17] The NFL Third Division was the first third division tier football league in India to be organized on a national scale. The league was played from 25 November till 18 December 2006 as a promotional tournament for Indian National Football League Second Division. Five teams were promoted to the second division. [18] [19] Starting from the 2022–23 season, I-League 2 filled the void in the third tier left by NFL Third Division in 2006.
After demoting I-League to the second tier status in Indian football, its second division i.e., I-League 2nd Division was subsequently demoted to third tier. AIFF renamed the 2nd Division to I-League 2 to avoid disambiguation. [20]
I-League 3 is set to serve as a platform for state champions and nominated teams. It forms the fourth tier of the Indian football league system, between the I-League 2 and the state leagues. No ISL reserve teams will be part of it. [21] [22]
There are currently total of 36 state associations (including union territories) affiliated with the AIFF. [23] These state associations have state leagues concurrently running. The top teams of state leagues are eligible for the I-League 3 (national 4th tier). Most state leagues have multiple divisions and a promotion/relegation system between these divisions. Calcutta Football League (Oldest football league in Asia) in West Bengal is the oldest state league and has the highest number of divisions with promotion/relegation system in place. [24]
Years | 1888–1893 | 1893–1898 | 1898–1941 | 1941–1977 | 1977–1996 | 1996–1997 | 1997–2001 | 2001–2006 | 2006–2007 | 2007–2011 | 2011–2014 | 2014–2017 | 2017–2022 | 2022–2023 | 2023–2024 | 2024-present | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | ||||||||||||||
4 | None | I-League 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Regional leagues | 5–11 | State leagues | ||||||||||||||||
Tournaments/ Cup competitions | Durand Cup | |||||||||||||||||
IFA Shield | ||||||||||||||||||
Federation Cup | Super Cup | Federation Cup | ||||||||||||||||
Indian Super Cup | Discontinued | |||||||||||||||||
Santosh Trophy |
The women's football league system in India currently consists of top tier national league i.e. Indian Women's League, organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). From 2023-24 IWL 2nd Division will form the tier 2, and top 2 clubs will be promoted to IWL. Tier 3 are the State football leagues, organized by regional state associations under AIFF affiliation, in the league tier pyramid of women's football in India.
Level | League(s) / Division(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National leagues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Indian Women's League 7 clubs – ↓ relegation TBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Indian Women's League 2 8 clubs – promotion ↑↓ relegations TBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
State leagues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
State level | Karnataka | West Bengal | Delhi | Maharastra | Tamil Nadu | Assam | Goa | Manipur | Meghalaya | Odisha | Jharkhand | Punjab | Sikkim | Mizoram | Arunachal Pradesh | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Gujarat | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Kerala | Madhya Pradesh | Puducherry | |||
3 | 1 | Karnataka Women’s Super Division ↑promote↓relegate | CWFL Premier Division A ↑promote | FD Women's Premier League ↑promote↓relegate | WIFA Women's Football League ↑promote | Tamil Nadu Women's League ↑promote | Assam Women's League ↑promote | Goa Women's League ↑promote | Manipur Women's League ↑promote | SSA Women's Football League ↑promote | Odisha Women's League ↑promote | JSA Women's League ↑promote | Punjab Women's League ↑promote | Sikkim Women's Super League ↑promote | Mizoram Women's League ↑promote | Arunachal Women's Football Championship ↑promote | Bihar State Women's League ↑promote | Chhattisgarh State Women's Football League Championship ↑promote | Gujarat State Women's League ↑promote | Haryana Women's Football League ↑promote | Himachal Women's League ↑promote | Kerala Women's League ↑promote | Madhya Pradesh Women's Premier League ↑promote | Pondicherry Women's League ↑promote | ||
4 | 2 | Karnataka Women’s A Division | CWFL Premier Division B | FD Women’s Championship | MFA Women's League | PDFA Women's Division | Kolhapur Women's League | 1 division | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | 3 | Karnataka Women’s B Division | 2 divisions |
Professional leagues |
Amateur/Semi-professional leagues |
Inter-state championship |
Year | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 & below |
---|---|---|---|
1991–2016 | Senior Women's National Football Championship | State leagues | |
2016–2023 | Indian Women's League | State leagues (without top divisions) | |
2023–present | Indian Women's League | Indian Women's League 2 | State leagues (without top divisions) |
Level | Competition | Age category |
---|---|---|
National | Reliance Foundation Development League | Under-21 |
Youth League | Under-17 | |
Junior League | Under-15 | |
Sub-Junior League | Under-13 | |
Subroto Cup | Inter-school |
On 7 January 2023, the AIFF unveiled Vision 2047, a new roadmap for Indian football with the planned reforms in India's league system. [25] [26]
Structure | Age category | Participants | Minimum matches |
---|---|---|---|
Boys | |||
RFDL/Elite League | Under-21 | Elite licensed academies and professional clubs | 35 |
Under-19 | |||
State Youth League champions | |||
Under-17 | |||
Under-15 | |||
Under-13 | |||
Girls | |||
Institutional League | TBD | Association clubs | 14 |
Elite League | 18 to 22 | Universities | |
Elite and state youth league | Under-17 | State Youth League champions | |
Under-15 | |||
Under-13 |
The national football championships are 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 the Hero National Football Championships.
The Santosh Trophy [27] 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 National Football Championship for Rajmata Jijabai Trophy [28] 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.
The U-20 National Football Championship or Swami Vivekananda U20 National Football Championship [29] is a national level inter-state championship for boys under the age of 20. [30] All affiliated State Units of AIFF are eligible to participate in this championship.
The Junior National Football Championship or BC Roy Trophy [31] 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 [32] 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.
The U-19 Junior Girls' National Football Championship [33] was first introduced in 2001.
The U-17 Sub-Junior Girls' National Football Championship [34] was first introduced in 2003 and held at Ooty.
AIFF introduced the Institutional League for the institutional clubs. The league is not part of the Indian football pyramid.
Association football is one of the three most-popular sports in India, the others being cricket and kabaddi. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recognises the Indian Super League as the national football league of India. The Santosh Trophy is a knock-out competition among Indian states and government institutions.
The National Football League (NFL) was the men's highest level of the Indian football league system from 1996 to 2007. Founded by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 1996, the NFL was the first football league in India to be organized on a national scale. The AIFF then added a second division in 1997 and a third division was soon added by the governing body in 2006. The NFL was eventually replaced by the I-League for the 2007–08 season in order to professionalize the sport in India.
The I-League is the men's second-tier of the Indian football league system. Currently contested by 12 clubs, It operates as a system of promotion and relegation with the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League 2.
The I-League 2 is an Indian men's professional football league. It is the 3rd tier of the Indian football league system, behind the Indian Super League and the I-League. It operates as a system of promotion and relegation with the I-League and the I-League 3.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. He is often considered as one of the best Indian Goalkeepers of all time.
Jeje Lalpekhlua Fanai, simply known as Jeje, is an Indian politician and former professional footballer who played as a striker. On March 27 2023, he formally joined the Zoram People's Movement and won from the South Tuipui constituency in the 2023 Mizoram Legislative Assembly election.
The AIFF Super Cup is an annual football competition and the premier cup competition in men's domestic football in India. It was founded on February 19, 2018 as a replacement for Federation Cup. Organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the competition is open to all clubs in the Indian Super League and the I-League, the top two division of the Indian football league system respectively.
Godwin Diogo Franco is an Indian professional footballer.
Sandesh Jhingan is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Indian Super League club Goa and the Indian national team.
Bengaluru Football Club ( ) is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first competitive season in the I-League on 22 September the same year. Since its inception, the club has won two I-League titles including one in its debut season, two Federation Cup titles, one Indian Super League title, and a Super Cup championship making it fourth-most successful club in Indian football.
The Indian Super League (ISL) is the men's highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the league currently comprises 13 clubs across India.
Lallianzuala Chhangte is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Indian Super League club Mumbai City and the India national team.
The Indian Women's League is the women's top tier professional football league in India. Founded in 2016, currently a total of 7 teams from across the country participate in the league.
Anirudh Thapa is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan SG and the India national team.
Baoringdao Bodo is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for I-League club NEROCA.
Rohit Danu is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru.
Vikram Partap Singh Sandhu is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Mumbai City and the India national team.
The 2019–20 season was the sixth season in Kerala Blasters FC's existence, as well as their sixth season in Indian Super League.
The 2020–21 I-League was the 14th season of the I-League, one of the top tier Indian professional football leagues, since its establishment in 2007. The tournament was hosted in bio-secure bubble across four venues in Kolkata due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation in India.
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