I-League's "U-22" rule suspended during South Asian Games

THE "U-22 RULE" in I-League that requires every club to have at least one Under-22 player in their starting line-up is being suspended for some time in light of the South Asian Games.

The India U-23 squad is taking part in the SAG and a good number of major U-22 players in I-League clubs have received call-ups for national duty. Thus it became tough for the clubs to field a junior player without compromising on the quality of the squad.

The U-22 rule has been a contentious issue in the Indian football circuit, with a number of clubs choosing to field a junior player then subbing him out early on in the game, which defeats the purpose of the rule. Recently, Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood criticized Mohun Bagan coach Sanjay Sen for a 12th minute substitution of U-22 player Azharuddin Mallick in the Kolkata Derby. 

To counter such conducts, local leagues like Calcutta Football League have ruled that a team must have at least one junior player - identified by a special armband - for the entire match. Mohun Bagan were docked points from a match for unintentionally failing to comply with that rule earlier this season.