NEW DELHI: The 2023 edition of the Hero Indian Women’s League (IWL) will kick off from April 25, with 16 teams vying for top honours.
The decision was taken Monday by the All India Football Federation League Committee, which met via video conferencing.
The dates of IWL 2023 were decided to ensure there was enough gap between the IWL and the 27th Senior Women’s National Football Championships 2022-23.
This year’s IWL will see the number of foreigners allowed per team increased to three, with a maximum of two allowed on the pitch at the same time. This was considered after clubs had requested the same.
The 2022-23 season of the IWL will have 16 teams split into two groups. The top four teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, consisting of quarterfinals, semi finals and finals. The top eight teams will get direct slots in next season’s IWL, which will be played on a home and away format.
The committee also decided to include East Bengal in the IWL season after much deliberation, in the interest of developing and growing the league. The IFA had requested that East Bengal be considered for inclusion this season.
