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ISL: 6 teams to reach playoffs from next season — Report
The ISL playoffs will incorporate six teams instead of the four teams from the upcoming season.
ISL to see 6 teams in playoffs from the next season
India's top-tier football competition, Indian Super League (ISL), which started in 2014, will see a restructuring of the playoffs from the next season. The playoffs will incorporate six teams from now onwards instead of the four teams who have qualified for the semifinals since the inception of the league.
As reported by the Times of India, in the new format that has been discussed with clubs and approved by the ISL technical committee, the top two teams will qualify automatically for the playoffs, while teams 3 & 6 and 4 & 5 will play a knockout match to see which teams make it to the final four. The single-leg clash will be played at the home venue of the higher-ranked team. The final four format remains unchanged with games being played home and away.
Knock-out matches
Team 3 vs Team 6
Team 4 vs Team 5
Playoffs
Team 1
Team 2
Winner of Team 3 vs Team 6
Winner of Team 4 vs Team 5
Team 2
Winner of Team 3 vs Team 6
Winner of Team 4 vs Team 5
ISL had started in 2014 with eight teams. Today the number of teams has been increased to 11. "When the ISL kicked off, there were eight teams, half of which qualified for the playoffs. Since then three new teams have been added, while the playoff format has remained the same. With ISL expected to expand in the future, this new format will provide more opportunities for the participating clubs," said a source to TOI.
ISL has made a presentation of the new format to every club and nobody has raised any objection. "Qualifying for the playoffs is getting tougher with each passing season and nobody is really assured of a place among the top-four. It's competitive, so if there are more spots to fight for, I don't think the clubs would object," said one club official to TOI.
With the restructuring of the playoffs, clubs will be further motivated to finish in the top two positions of the league. The top team will get the AFC Champions League spot, besides prize money of Rs 3.5 crore, while the second-placed team will get a direct playoff spot, without participating in the qualifier. What will be more interesting is that even teams finishing in fifth and sixth positions will also remain in contention for the ISL trophy.
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