Panaji: Seven of top Indian Super League sides, Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC, semi-finalists Kerala Blasters FC, along with Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC , Bengaluru FC and FC Goa are set to take part in the FSDL organized ISL Development League along with Relaince Foundation Young Champs (RFYC). The tournament is set to begin in Goa from April 14 and will continue till May 20.
While the sides have confirmed their attendance in the league, the remaining teams from the eighth edition of the Indian Super League, namely North East United FC, Odisha FC and the Kolkata giants- ATK Mohunbagan and SC East Bengal have notified the officials about their unavailability in the tournament.
The tournament has been primarily organised to facilitate the development of the reserved teams of the ISL teams which is expected to contain high talent. Previously ISL made it mandatory for all the teams to have at four developmental players, i.e, players born or after January 1st 2001. In continuation to the rules, the ISL Development League, mandates to have players born on or after the day. However, the teams are allowed to at most five players born on or after January 1st 1999 while, only three of them will be allowed in the playing XI.
The tournament will be in a round-robin format with each team playing only one game in two days. The top two teams on the leader board will qualify for the next round of the tournament.
