Youth League (India)

{{Infobox football league

| name = Youth League

| logo = Youth League (India).svg

| pixels = 200

| caption =

| country = India

| founded = {{start date and age|2008}}

| divisions = AIFF Youth League
Junior League
Sub-Junior League

| teams = 71 (AIFF Youth League)
47 (Junior League)
49 (Sub-Junior League)

| relegation =

| levels = 1

| domest_cup =

| champions = Youth: Classic FA
Junior: Minerva Punjab
Sub-Junior: RF Young Champs

| most_champs = Youth:AIFF Elite Academy (3 titles)
Junior: Minerva Punjab (4 titles)
Sub-Junior:
Minerva Academy FC
Minerva Punjab
RF Young Champs
(1 title each)

| season =

| current = 2024–25

| tv =

| website = {{URL|https://www.the-aiff.com}}

}}

The Youth League is a system of youth football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the All India Football Federation. It consists of 3 age groups competitions: U17 (AIFF Youth League), U15 (Junior League) and U13 (Sub-Junior League).

History

The league was founded as the I-League U19 in 2008, which was to give youth teams of the I-League a national league to play in. 16 teams were split into four groups of four. At the end of the season, the top team from the group stage would move onto the final stage with the other group winners, and play each other once. The inaugural winners were Tata Football Academy.{{Cite web |url=http://www.indianfootball.de/seasons/2008-09ilj.html |title=I-League U19 2008 |access-date=4 July 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183446/http://www.indianfootball.de/seasons/2008-09ilj.html |url-status=live }}

The competition name was changed in 2012 to the I-League U-20,[http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/tournament/index.php?tournamentdetail=91 :::: The Aiff ::::] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411200515/http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/tournament/index.php?tournamentdetail=91|date=2012-04-11}} because many U-20 players in the I-League were not getting any time in the senior teams.

The U20 name only lasted for two seasons, before the All India Football Federation decided to switch the tournament format back to an under-19 format from 2014.{{cite web|title=AIFF's Emergency Committee meets in New Delhi|url=http://the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=4981|work=The All India Football Federation|access-date=28 May 2013|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801150711/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/aiffs-emergency-committee-meets-in-new-delhi|url-status=live}} From 2014, the tournament was divided into five zones, namely Kolkata, Mumbai, Shillong, Goa and Rest of India.

The competition once again changed format in 2015–16, played as U18 tournament. From 2017–18 season, the league was renamed as Youth League U18 and subsequently as Elite League from 2018–19.

Structure

For younger categories, in most cases teams play each other in their respective zonal groups twice – home and away. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams go through to the final phase.

Those teams are divided into three groups and the group champions, along with the best second placed teams, qualify for the knockout stages.

For Youth League, the latest tournament took place across ten venues, with single round-robin format in the group and knockout stage. The 49 teams from 29 states and union territories were divided in ten groups.

Past winners

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" !colspan=2\|I-League U19
2008 \|colspan=1\|Tata Football Academy
2010 \|colapan=1\|Sporting Clube de Goa
2011 \|colspan=1\|JCT
colspan=2\|I-League U20
2012 \|colspan="1"\|Pune F.C. Academy
2013 \|colspan="1"\|Pune F.C. Academy
colspan=2\|I-League U19
2014 \|colspan="1"\|Tata Football Academy
2014–15 \|colspan="1"\|AIFF Elite Academy
colspan=2\|I-League U18
2015–16 \|AIFF Elite Academy
2016–17 \|AIFF Elite Academy
colspan=2\|Youth League U18
2017–18 \|Shillong Lajong
colspan=2\|Elite League
2018–19 \|Minerva Punjab
2019–20 \|called off due to COVID-19 pandemic
colspan=2\|U17 Youth Cup
2022–23 \|Classic Football Academy{{cite web\|url=https://thebridge.in/football/classic-football-academy-wins-u17-youth-cup-39238\|title=Classic Football Academy wins Hero U-17 Youth Cup title\|website=thebridge.in\|publisher=The Bridge\|date=31 January 2023\|access-date=31 January 2023\|agency=All India Football Federation\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131150936/https://thebridge.in/football/classic-football-academy-wins-u17-youth-cup-39238\|archive-date=31 January 2023}}
colspan=2\|U-17 Youth League
2023–24 \|Classic Football Academy

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

!colspan=2|I-League U19

2008

|colspan=1|Tata Football Academy

2010

|colapan=1|Sporting Clube de Goa

2011

|colspan=1|JCT

colspan=2|I-League U20

2012

|colspan="1"|Pune F.C. Academy

2013

|colspan="1"|Pune F.C. Academy

colspan=2|I-League U19

2014

|colspan="1"|Tata Football Academy

2014–15

|colspan="1"|AIFF Elite Academy

colspan=2|I-League U18

colspan=2|Youth League U18

2017–18

|Shillong Lajong

colspan=2|Elite League

2018–19

|Minerva Punjab

2019–20

|called off due to COVID-19 pandemic

colspan=2|U17 Youth Cup

2022–23

|Classic Football Academy{{cite web|url=https://thebridge.in/football/classic-football-academy-wins-u17-youth-cup-39238|title=Classic Football Academy wins Hero U-17 Youth Cup title|website=thebridge.in|publisher=The Bridge|date=31 January 2023|access-date=31 January 2023|agency=All India Football Federation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131150936/https://thebridge.in/football/classic-football-academy-wins-u17-youth-cup-39238|archive-date=31 January 2023}}

colspan=2|U-17 Youth League

2023–24

|Classic Football Academy

=List of winners=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
Team !U20 titles !U19 titles !U18/U17 titles
align=left\|AIFF Elite Academy \|0 \|1 \|2
align=left\|Pune U19 \|2 \|0 \|0
align=left\|Tata FA U19 \|0 \|2 \|0
align=left\|JCT \|0 \|1 \|0
align=left\|Shillong Lajong U18 \|0 \|0 \|1
align=left\|Minerva Punjab \|0 \|0 \|1
align=left\|Sporting Club de Goa \|0 \|1 \|0
align=left\|Classic FA \|0 \|0 \|2

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

Team

!U20
titles

!U19
titles

!U18/U17
titles

align=left|AIFF Elite Academy

align=left|Pune U19

align=left|Tata FA U19

align=left|JCT

align=left|Shillong Lajong U18

align=left|Minerva Punjab

align=left|Sporting Club de Goa

align=left|Classic FA

Under-17 level

{{Infobox football league

| name = AIFF Youth League

| logo =

| pixels =

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 71

| relegation =

| levels =

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Classic FA
(2nd title)

| most_champs = AIFF Elite Academy
(3 titles)

| tv = AIFF (YouTube)

| current = 2023–24

|website=[https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/elite-league Official website]

}}

The Youth League or the Hero U-17 Youth Cup was previously known as I-League U18, I-League U19 and I-League U20.{{cite web|title=AIFF Moots U-15 & U-18 I-League For Clubs & Academies|url=http://i-league.org/aiff-moots-u-15-u-18-i-league-for-clubs-academies/|work=I-League.org|access-date=30 October 2015|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155113/http://i-league.org/aiff-moots-u-15-u-18-i-league-for-clubs-academies/|url-status=live}} is the top level of youth football in India. It is contested between the under-17 sides of The I-League teams, Indian Super League teams, as well as other youth teams. The most successful team currently is AIFF Elite Academy, who won three titles. Minerva Punjab are the last known champions.

On 7 December 2018 AIFF decided to change its name to Hero Elite League.{{Cite web |url=https://indianfootballfans.wixsite.com/indianfootball/home/2nd-division-league-teams-selected-to-begin-on-january |title=2nd Division League Teams selected to begin on January |access-date=8 December 2018 |archive-date=9 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209123856/https://indianfootballfans.wixsite.com/indianfootball/home/2nd-division-league-teams-selected-to-begin-on-january |url-status=live }}{{cite web| url = https://thebridge.in/tentative-dates-for-2nd-division-league-hero-super-cup-announced/| title = Tentative decisions for 2nd Division League, Hero Super Cup announced| access-date = 8 December 2018| archive-date = 9 December 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181209165326/https://thebridge.in/tentative-dates-for-2nd-division-league-hero-super-cup-announced/| url-status = live}}

Dream Sports Championship is another competition for U17 players organized by Dream Sports India.

Under-15 level (9-a-side)

{{Infobox football league

| name = Junior League

| logo =

| pixels = 200

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 47

| relegation =

| levels =

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Reliance Foundation Young Champs

| current = 2023-24

|website=[https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/junior-league Official website]

}}

class="wikitable"

!Edition

!Winners

2015–16

|Minerva Punjab

2016–17

|Minerva Punjab

2017–18

|Minerva Punjab

2018–19

|Minerva Punjab{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballcounter.com/2019/hero-junior-league-final-minerva-punjab-pip-bengaluru-fc-to-lift-title-for-the-4th-consecutive-year/|title=Hero Junior League final: Minerva Punjab pip Bengaluru FC to lift title for the 4th consecutive year|publisher=Football Counter|last=Shetty|first=Chittu|date=29 May 2019|access-date=23 December 2022|archive-date=25 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225113839/https://www.footballcounter.com/2019/hero-junior-league-final-minerva-punjab-pip-bengaluru-fc-to-lift-title-for-the-4th-consecutive-year/|url-status=live}}

2019–20

|called off due to COVID-19 pandemic

2023–24

|RF Young Champs