ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (AIFF) has approved a proposal for a new Indian Super League (ISL) charter, to be implemented from the 2026–27 season, marking a significant step towards giving clubs and future commercial partners a stronger role in the league’s governance.
Under the proposed structure, the ISL will be run through two bodies, a Governing Council and a Management Committee, with the league’s potential rights partner receiving three seats on each committee.
Each nominated member of both bodies will serve a term of three ISL seasons, beginning from the season prior to their appointment. Club representatives will retain their positions unless there is a change in ownership of the club.
Planned as part of a 20-season roadmap, the charter responds to club demands for a governance model similar to the English Premier League, where the league is overseen by a separate governing structure with representation from the national federation. While following a comparable pyramid-style framework, the AIFF proposal keeps the ISL fully within the federation’s constitutional authority.
The ISL Governing Council will consist of 22 members, including 14 club representatives (one from each team) and three members from the rights partner. The remaining five will include the AIFF president or secretary general, AIFF vice president, AIFF treasurer, and two independent members with no commercial ties to the federation, one nominated by AIFF and one by the clubs. The AIFF president or vice president will act as chairperson. All decisions will be made by a simple majority, with at least two affirmative votes from AIFF members required.
The Management Committee will oversee the league’s day-to-day operations under the direction of the Governing Council. It will be chaired by the AIFF secretary general or deputy secretary general, with additional federation representation from the head of competitions and head of strategy. Of the remaining eight seats, five will go to clubs and three to the commercial partner. Among the club representatives, three will be elected by majority vote, while two will come from the teams finishing in the top two positions, updated each season.
A club’s representative will automatically lose their seat if the club is relegated.
