AIFF announces October 16 start for 2026-27 Indian Women’s League

The AIFF has announced October 16 as the start date for the 2026-27 Indian Women’s League and October 23 for IWL 2. The federation has also approved stricter coaching licence requirements and plans to expand the IWL to 12 teams

Hyderabad: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the start dates for the 2026-27 seasons of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and Indian Women’s League 2 (IWL 2), India’s top two tiers of women’s club football.

The IWL will get underway on October 16, 2026, with eight clubs set to compete in the upcoming season — six from last season — East Bengal FC, Sethu FC, Kickstart FC, Nita FA, Gokulam Kerala FC and Garhwal United FC — and two promoted from last season’s IWL 2, HOPS FC and Juba Sangha FC.

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The IWL 2 group stage will commence on October 23, with 20 clubs divided into four groups of five. The group winners and the two best second-placed teams will advance to the six-team final round, which will begin on November 25.

Further details regarding the participating teams and fixtures will be announced in due course.

The AIFF League Committee has approved enhanced minimum coaching licence requirements for both the IWL and IWL 2, effective from the 2027-28 season.

For the IWL, the head coach will be required to hold an AFC A Licence, while the assistant coach will require an AFC B Licence. For IWL 2, the minimum requirement will be an AFC B Licence for the head coach and an AFC C Licence for the assistant coach.

The decision is aimed at strengthening technical standards and supporting the continued professionalisation of women’s football competitions in India.

To provide greater opportunities for players and ensure a broader competitive pool, the Committee has also decided that a player registered or signed for an IWL club will not be eligible to participate in IWL 2 during the same season.

The IWL disciplinary regulations relating to yellow-card accumulation have also been revised. Under the revised regulations, the first suspension will be triggered after three yellow cards, followed by a suspension after every two additional yellow cards.

Looking beyond the upcoming season, the League Committee discussed a long-term expansion strategy for the Indian Women’s League. The IWL currently comprises eight teams, with the Committee targeting an expansion to 10 teams by the 2028-29 season and ultimately to 12 teams by 2032.

The Committee also aims to increase the number of IWL matches to approximately 90 by the 2028-29 season.

The expansion is intended to provide players with greater competitive exposure and playing time, strengthen the professional women’s football ecosystem, create a larger pool of players for the national team and contribute towards improving India’s position in international women’s football.