<font face="Arial" size="2">Now also at the same time once the AIFF and IPFCA (I-League Professional Football Clubs Association) get the I-League to 16 teams and I-League 2nd Division at 10 teams still I think the AIFF should than focus on creating a 3rd and 4th tier leagues ONLY IF POSSIBLE FINANCIALLY. </font><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">The 3rd tier of the Indian football system would be a 18 team <b>semi-professional</b> league. Each team would be divided into 3 conferences (groups) of 6 and your conference is based off of your location. The conferences would be named West, Central, East. (Kerala and Karnataka are in the Central Conference and not the West). After each team plays each other in there conference twice (12 games per team) than the top 2 in each group move on to the <b>National Phase</b> which will take place at three neutral venues (in order to save travel costs). The national group would therefore contain 6 teams. 2 from the West, 2 from Central and 2 from the East. Each team plays each other 2 times (another 12 games - 24 in total) and done. <b>There is no promotion to the 2nd Division for the Winner or Runner-up.</b></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><b><br></b></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">This is where a J.League thing comes into place. In Japan, if you win or get a promotion spot in the JFL (the 3rd Tier) you still may not get promotion to the J.League 2nd Division. The reason is A) The J.League 2 is not expanding, so adding teams from the JFL would make the numbers uneven. The most important reason... the winners and promoters may not meet the criteria. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">So if the AIFF need more teams for the I-League 2nd Division they would select the top 2 teams from the 3rd tier <b>that pass the criteria.</b> So you might not even get promotion to the 2nd Division, it all depends on if you can follow the criteria.</font></div>
a suggestion as u said have north south east west conference at 3 tier that is great but if this also happen than Bengal and Goan teams only will dominate so a small change will do like Goa league and Bengal league should be separate just like other conference that will be good for other team as those teams will get chance to qualify if they are in same conference as Goa n Bengal clubs than make their chances less </font><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">
</font><br><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">That is why I said that the winners and promotion spot placers will not get promoted unless they follow the criteria which would state that if 4 teams from your state are already in the I-League and I-League 2nd Division combine (which for Bengal and Goa will be the case) than you dont get promoted, you are forced to stay in the 3rd tier unless you can prove that your team is much better financially than the I-League teams.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">Also I still have yet to explain how the 4th tier will work which should put that debate to bed. And also remember that if this was to happen than it would probably be 2018-2025. By then the Goan and Kolkata clubs should be met with competition from Maharashtra and North-East and maybe others. </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">After that the 4th tier can start which would be Zonal-Leagues. 5 Divisions. East, West, South, North, North-East and then divide those Divisions into 2 inter-division conferences. So that would make 10 divisions of 4 per division making 40 teams in the 4th tier. Each team plays each team within there division 2 times (6 games) and than the top 2 teams from the division move to the Regional Championship. So that would be 5 divisions of 4 teams (20 teams). Each would play within there division 2 times (6 games). (12 games in total so far) (NOTE: The 6 teams that failed to make it to the National stage would play each other once to get 6 games).</font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">After that the top 2 teams from the Regional Championships join the National Championships. The National Championship is split into 2 groups of 5. Each team plays each other twice (8 games - 20 in total). The top 2 move on to the play-offs. A two-legged Semi-Final and one off Final. </font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">In total 23 games for the champion and runner-up. 22 games for the third and fourth place teams. 20 games for the rest of the National Championship losers. 18 games for the Regional Championship losers. 12 games for the Pre-Regional Championship losers. </font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">In terms of promotion/relegation from the 3rd-4th-State Leagues. The bottom 2 teams from each PRE-Regional Division get relegated back into there respective state leagues. That is relegation from the 4th tier. In order to get promoted you must win your state championship and play a play-off against other state championships from that area (would be a maximum 3 games basically) and the 2 remaining teams move to the fourth tier.</font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">In order to get relegated from the 3rd division you need to be among the 4 teams within your conference to not move up to the National Championship. If one team from the 4th division that made the Semi-Finals plays in your state than that team gets promoted while you get relegated. It is complicated but somehow works.</font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">Honestly I have not put much thought into the 3rd and 4th tier but I am certain the I-League and I-League 2nd Division model can work successfully.</font></div>
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</font><br><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">That is why I said that the winners and promotion spot placers will not get promoted unless they follow the criteria which would state that if 4 teams from your state are already in the I-League and I-League 2nd Division combine (which for Bengal and Goa will be the case) than you dont get promoted, you are forced to stay in the 3rd tier unless you can prove that your team is much better financially than the I-League teams.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">Also I still have yet to explain how the 4th tier will work which should put that debate to bed. And also remember that if this was to happen than it would probably be 2018-2025. By then the Goan and Kolkata clubs should be met with competition from Maharashtra and North-East and maybe others. </font></div>