New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday approved the draft constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with certain changes and directed the federation to adopt it within four weeks. The top court termed this development a “new beginning for Indian football,” poised to take the sport to greater heights.
The court directed the national football body to convene a special general body meeting for adopting the draft constitution prepared by its former judge, L Nageswara Rao.
### Observations Made by the Bench
“We have approved the provisions of the constitution in the said terms. We direct the AIFF administration to call for a special general body meeting and adopt the draft constitution with the modifications in this judgment. This shall be done at the earliest, preferably within four weeks,” stated a bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi.
The 78-page verdict, authored by Justice Narasimha, addressed 12 critical issues including membership, suspension, age bar, and conflict of interest related to AIFF and state football associations.
### Applicability to State Associations
The Supreme Court clarified that the draft constitution will also apply to state associations, despite their resistance. The bench emphasized that the inclusion of eminent players, coaches, referees, and club representatives in the general body will usher in greater transparency and fair play.
It observed, “The inclusion of eminent players, coaches, referees, and club representatives in the general body, with only further good governance, heralds transparency and fair play.”
The bench further noted that continuous monitoring of a sports federation by any forum, including the Supreme Court, is not appropriate. “Having taken up the matter and ensured that the Constitution is brought to this stage, it is necessary to take it to its logical end. Our monitoring will only be that far and no further,” it added.
### Tenure of Current Executive Committee
The court refused to interfere with the tenure of the current AIFF executive committee headed by President Kalyan Chaubey. It stated that since the committee was elected for a four-year term, their tenure will expire in September 2026—less than a year from now.
“The current executive committee can be treated as a permanent body which shall discharge its function in accordance with the relevant laws as well as the AIFF constitution,” the bench observed.
### Enforcing Discipline Across All Levels
Addressing the contentious issue of applicability of the AIFF constitution to state associations, the bench stressed the importance of maintaining a pyramidal structure of Indian football. It said constituent units and lower-level associations must implement the same discipline, fairness, transparency, and good governance standards applied at the top.
“In view of the FIFA statute, the relevant comments of Justice L N Rao and on analysis of the far-reaching implications of this provision, we are not inclined to accept the argument that the AIFF Constitution ought not be extended to the state associations and local bodies,” the court stated.
### Modifications to Criteria for “Eminent Player”
The Supreme Court modified the criteria for the “eminent player” who is a member of the AIFF executive committee. The revised criteria specify that the player should be retired for at least two years and must have represented India (senior team) in at least seven competitive matches for men and three for women, sanctioned by FIFA/AFC.
However, the bench proposed a reasonable reduction: five matches for men and two for women, to ensure a wider pool of retired players actively participating as efficient administrators and guiding lights for Indian football.
### Definition of “Office Bearers” and Governance Reforms
The bench emphasized that the term “office bearers” must be understood in the context of AIFF’s functioning and necessary reforms. This definition will impact the applicability of cooling-off periods, terms, tenure, and age limits, aligning with reforms introduced for vibrant federation governance.
### Women’s Representation and Vice Presidents
Accepted AIFF’s proposal to increase the number of vice presidents to three, including one woman representative. This amendment aims to strengthen women’s representation while keeping the executive committee size to fifteen members.
### Disqualification Norms and Other Modifications
On disqualification issues, including criminal charges and convictions of AIFF and state association members, the bench adopted standards similar to those in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) case. It modified disqualification provisions to apply only upon conviction followed by imprisonment, not merely on framing of charges.
The Supreme Court also stated that public servants with necessary government approvals can become members of the football body without issues.
Several other modifications were incorporated into the draft constitution to align it with the National Sports Code.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/sc-clears-new-aiff-constitution-calls-it-a-new-beginning-for-indian-football
