The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has introduced a mandatory rule requiring clubs in the top two tiers of Indian football to field a domestic striker throughout the match. The new guidelines, approved during a virtual special general body meeting on Saturday, will take effect from the 2026-27 season.
Key Changes for Indian Super League and IFL Clubs
Under the new regulations, if the starting striker is substituted due to injury or poor form, his replacement must also be an Indian forward. This measure aims to ensure adequate match exposure and development opportunities for Indian strikers, according to the AIFF.
Additionally, Indian Super League (ISL) and Indian Football League (IFL) clubs must include an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) player among their four foreign players on the field. If a club chooses not to sign an OCI player, their on-field foreign quota will be restricted to three players. The overall registration quota of six foreign players per club remains unchanged.
Background and Debate on OCI and PIO Players
The inclusion of OCI and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) players in Indian football has been a topic of debate since former coach Stephen Constantine first raised it. Subsequent coaches Bob Houghton, Wim Koevermans, Igor Stimac, and Manolo Marquez have all highlighted how other countries, including neighbors like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, have used such imports to strengthen their national teams.
India does not allow dual passports, and the AIFF hopes PIO/OCI players will follow the example of Ryan Williams, who surrendered his Australian citizenship to obtain an Indian passport. Williams, a winger for Bengaluru FC, scored on his international debut against Hong Kong earlier this year.
Potential Opposition from Clubs
The mandatory domestic striker and OCI player rules are likely to face strong opposition from clubs, which hold a majority on the ISL managing committee. The committee includes five club representatives—Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United, FC Goa, and Sporting Club Delhi—along with three AIFF officials.
“I think most, if not all clubs will be rather surprised by the developments in the general body meeting regarding player guidelines for ISL,” a club CEO told TOI late on Saturday. “The proposal on OCIs and Indian strikers is essentially forcing a quota system. Quota system will only lead to inflation of salaries as was visible when clubs were forced to sign Asian players. In the backdrop of conversations where a vast majority of clubs are aiming to be prudent with their spending, these proposals put those plans two steps back.”
ISL Structure and Future Plans
During the same meeting, AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan informed members that the federation has reached an understanding with clubs over running the ISL, instead of accepting an initial bid from Genius Sports. A final decision on the league structure will be taken next week, after the federation hears from Genius, which bid approximately Rs 2130 crore for a 20-year (15+5) period to secure rights of the ISL and Federation Cup.
The next edition of the ISL is scheduled to kick off on September 4, according to the AIFF.
