I-League: Change needs to be made about U-23 rule

The All India Football Federation and the I-League introduced a rule for the 2013/14 season that participating clubs need to play one Under-23 player and have two Under-23 boys in their 18 players squad. But on match day, United SC made a mockery of the new rule.

The idea behind the rule isn’t bad, but if there is no compulsion to have one Under-23 player always on the field, then the rule has no worth. United SC coach Eelco Schattorie started with Under-23 player Biswajit Biswas, but only five minutes into the game against Rangdajied United FC, he brought on the more experienced C.K. Vineeth.

United SC regular Under-23 player Mohammed Rafique was on the bench as he was coming back from an injury, while the other Under-23 player in the squad, Souvik Chakraborty, was away on office duty.

After the match, match commissioner Gulab Chauhan confirmed that United SC had not broken any I-League rule, which left one to wonder of what value such a rule would have if clubs could get around it in such an easy way. Surely, they are wasting an early substitution, but if the coaches aren’t sure that their Under-23 players will deliver, then more such early substitutions will be seen in the future.

The AIFF and I-League need to have a re-look at the new rule and amend it accordingly, but whether it can be implemented in a season which has already begun has to be seen.

On the other side, most of the I-League clubs have numerous Under-23 players in their squads and some of them are also regular starters, so I hope this loophole isn’t misused too often.