AIFF elections to take place before September 15, details revealed

The impasse regarding the apex body's new administration is currently in the country's top court.

The case of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) elections was heard in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. This came under the longstanding pressure from FIFA to finalize the constitution quickly or face a possible ban.

Senior advocate Gopal S proposed the decisions made by the CoA to Justice DY Chandrachud. It ended up being a long-dragged affair that went on for hours. In the end, these rules were set by the Supreme Court for how the AIFF committee will run.

AIFF elections date set

It was confirmed that the new AIFF elections to form the new committee will be held before September 15. An exact date is yet to be set, but it will be held next month and before the U-17 FIFA Women's World Cup.

This falls in line with FIFA’s instructions and can ensure that no further problem is raised. It would also mean that a new AIFF committee will be in place before the Indian Super League (ISL) season is likely to start.

Interim body to be created                    

The Supreme Court ordered that an interim body will be created for the elections. This interim body will only hold office for three months until the new constitution is formally adopted. That means it will be a short-term body that only keeps their power until the end of the year.

It has also been warned that the interim body members cannot claim equity in the new AIFF committee. Any further changes in how that said entity functions are subject to further orders from the court.

How many members will consist of the electoral body?

It has been decided that a 36-member electoral college will be formed to vote on the interim body. This will consist of 24 male and 12 female Indian footballers. The players are only eligible if they have been retired for at least over two years. They will also need to have played at least one international match for India to be eligible.

But, it has been warned by the Supreme Court that there needs to be more equality in electoral colleges going forward. For example, there has to be a 50/50 equality among men and women representatives in the future.

Right now, there are not enough female footballers available to create equality in the 36-member electoral college. Hence, there are only 12 being considered for the time being.