AIFF technical committee recommends '3+1' foreign player rule from 2021

At present, the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League teams can field five foreigners in its starting XIs.

Indian Super League teams can field five foreign players in its playing XI.

The All India Football Federation’s Technical Committee, on Friday, discussed the implementation of the 3 (foreigners) +1 (Asian) recruit rule for all domestic league matches from the 2021 season onwards.

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The committee decided that if the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) amended this rule, the changes will be implemented for domestic league matches.

At present, the Indian Super League (ISL) teams can register seven foreigners in its squad and can field five of them in its starting XI. The second-tier I-League teams can register six foreigners and can name five in the playing XI.

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The committee also felt that it wasn't appropriate to discuss the PIO/OCI rule allowing players of Indian origin to represent India at present, and that it’s appropriate for it to be discussed at a later stage once clarity is provided by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The committee was also briefed about the postponement of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that the future dates for the tournament haven’t yet been finalised.