The Supreme Court on Friday directed that the draft Constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) be placed before a general body meeting and adopted within four weeks. The draft was first prepared by a court-appointed Committee of Administrators in 2022 and later refined under the supervision of retired Justice L Nageswara Rao.
A Bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi also confirmed that the present office bearers, led by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, will continue until 2026. Fresh elections are to be held after their tenure ends. The court clarified that only limited modifications would be needed so that the Constitution fully aligns with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
The proposed Constitution brings several reforms to AIFF’s governance. It fixes a maximum cumulative tenure of 12 years for office bearers, split into two four-year terms followed by a mandatory cooling-off period. No individual above the age of 70 can contest. The executive committee will have 14 members, including the president, two vice-presidents (one reserved for a woman), a treasurer, and 10 others, of whom five must be eminent players, with at least two women among them. Office bearers, including the president, can be removed through a no-confidence motion.
These changes address long-standing concerns that AIFF’s earlier rules did not comply with the National Sports Code of 2011 and FIFA-AFC requirements. Both international bodies had pressed for reforms, and last month issued a joint letter warning that India could face suspension if the Constitution was not ratified by October 30.
In parallel, the court recorded submissions from AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) on the calendar for the coming season. The Super Cup will be held in September 2025, followed by the Indian Super League (ISL) in December. The broadcasting and commercial rights for ISL must be awarded through an open tender, overseen by a Big Four firm, by October 15.
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