ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (AIFF)

ACADEMY ACCREDITATION 2020/21

Rules & Regulations

1. An integral part of AIFF’s vision and mission is to improve playing standards and increase the
possibility of success for participants at the top level of football. The development of aspiring
young talents is at the core of these objectives, and the academy accreditation process
introduced by AIFF is a step taken to strengthen and improve the youth development system in
the country.

2. The AIFF, in close collaboration with its members – the various state football associations
(hereafter referred to as SFAs), through this academy accreditation process grades the youth
development structure of clubs and academies and offers them national recognition for the
standards attained. Through the system, AIFF marks each club/academy that applies for
accreditation on various criteria and gives a star rating based on the total points or marks
received.

3. An academy/club is categorized under 2 separate heads:

(i) Residential
(ii) Non-Residential

4. Based on the categories, the criteria are set and the clubs/academies are requested to fulfil the
same. Academies/clubs claiming to fulfil these criteria are required to upload necessary proof
in form of official documents on the accreditation portal by a given deadline. After successful
upload of all required documents by the prescribed deadline, the same will be assessed and
reverted upon. The process will be followed by physical inspection at respective sites to verify
the uploads. Points will then be allotted to each club/academy after inspection. The total points
allotted will determine the eventual academy rating.

5. The following criteria are set for academy accreditation. Criteria no. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 & 9 are
deemed mandatory and an academy/club applying for accreditation must secure
minimum points separately for each of these criteria as indicated to pass the whole
process. An academy/club however cannot secure more than the maximum points indicated
for each criterion. In case of compliance to a high degree with the concerned criterion, they’ll
only be allotted the maximum points for that category. Further, it is clarified that extra or

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additional marks secured in one category may not be adjusted or used to bridge a gap in
securing minimum points in any other category.

6. The supporting documents for each of the criterion must be submitted/uploaded on the AIFF
accreditation portal for verification and then later be physically made available at the time of
inspections.

7. Point allotment system per head: Points obtained [min (1) to max (6)] multiplied by
Weightage. The Points Appendix for each criterion is given in the Appendix page at the end
of the document.

Criteria 1.
7.1 Age-Group Teams:
(Weightage = 2; Maximum points = 8; Minimum points required = 4) – data from AIFF
Centralised Registration System (CRS)

7.1.1 To pass the criteria:

(i) The Academy/Club must have a minimum of two age-groups in the youth category (U-
19 to U-13). However, academies are encouraged to have more than 2 (two) age groups
for more engagement and participation in AIFF and other affiliated tournaments.
Between 2 (two) age-groups, for evaluation purposes, the academy/club must not have a
gap of less than 2 (two) years between successive age-groups. Eg. An academy/club
cannot be evaluated on the basis of only an U-16 and an U-17 team; OR an U-14 and U-
15 team, in the absence of other age-group teams, as the gap is of less than 2 years
between the teams in such cases.
(ii) The Academy/Club must have at least 20 registered players including 2 goalkeepers per
operating age-group on AIFF CRS.

Criteria 2.
7.2 Technical Staff:
(Weightage = 5 for Head of Youth Development, Head Coach & Goalkeeping Coach;
Weightage = 3 for Assistant Coach; Maximum points = 160; Minimum points required = 41)
– Linked to AIFF Coaches Registration System

7.2.1 To qualify for Youth Leagues:

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(i) Academy/Club must have a Head of Youth Development with a minimum of an AFC B
– Certificate.
(ii) Head Coaches of respective age-groups of U-18/19, U-16/15 and U-14/13 must have a
minimum of an AFC/AIFF C - Certificate.
(iii) Assistant Coaches of respective age groups of U-18/19, U-16/15 and U-14/13 must have
a minimum of an AIFF D - Certificate.
(iv) A one-time exemption will be allowed to only the first time applicants if the
club/academy has a Head of Youth Development with a minimum of an AFC/AIFF C -
Certificate or Head Coaches with a minimum of an AIFF D - Certificate, provided the
club/academy secures the minimum points required under the criterion. However, this
exemption will not be applicable for any such first-time applicant who has any direct
financial link to an existing club/academy already accredited with AIFF previously.
AIFF reserves the right to examine any such matter and the decision of AIFF will be
final and binding in such matters.

7.2.2 To pass the criteria (i.e. only for qualifying through accreditation and not eligible for
AIFF Youth Leagues)
(i) Academy/Club must have a Head of Youth Development with a minimum of an
AFC/AIFF C - Certificate.
(ii) Head Coaches & Assistant Coaches of respective age groups of U-18/19, U-16/15 and
U-14/13 must have an AIFF D - Certificate.

7.2.3 N.B. Any academy/club with an AFC/AIFF C - Certificate holder as the Head of Youth
Development or AIFF D - Certificate holders as the Head Coach of the youth age-group
teams will automatically be classified under the Basic star rating of the AIFF Accreditation
Process, except the clubs/academies falling under the exemption provided under 7.2.1(iv).

7.2.4 For any technical staff presenting a non-AFC/AIFF course certificate, a Recognition of
Coaching Competence (RECC) issued by AFC/AIFF in compliance with the RECC
regulations must be submitted in due time.

7.2.5 Points will also be allotted for following licensed coaching staff:
(i) Goalkeeping Coach

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7.2.6 Contracts to be uploaded should have the following:
(i) Designation and Job description of the employee; for Head/Assistant Coach, the
concerned age-group must be mentioned
(ii) Remuneration paid/payable and if not, clarification with regards to the same
(iii) Contract term mentioning the period of employment and contract validity; if term is
indefinite the termination clause must be specified
(iv) Date of issue and signing
(v) Signatures of the contracted staff and employment authority at the club/academy along
with the club/academy seal

7.2.7 The following Technical Staff should be registered on the AIFF Coaches Registration Portal -
coaching.the-aiff.com
(i) Certified Head of Youth Development
(ii) Certified Youth Head Coaches
(iii) Certified Youth Assistant Coaches
(iv) Certified Goalkeeping Coaches

7.2.8 Any contracted technical staff can hold a maximum of only one (1) technical designation
besides any designation under Talent Identification/Recruitment criteria.

7.2.9 For any change of Technical Staff - the same must be informed in writing within 7 (seven)
days of the staff's termination. Replacement of the same must be found and notified to AIFF
within 30 days from the date of termination of the previous employee.

Criteria 3.
7.3 Approved Curriculum& Training Plan:
(Weightage = 3; Maximum points = 12; Minimum points required = 12)

7.3.1 The Academy/Club must produce a curriculum for each training age-group under Youth
category. The curriculum will be considered valid or not, based on its content prepared, by the
Technical Director, AIFF.

7.3.2 The Curriculum must consist of the following:

(i) Club/Academy Philosophy: A single pdf document on Club/Academy letterhead
describing the basic principles followed in developing players at the academy/club

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across all age-groups. This must include the brand of football practiced at the
academy/club (if any), talent identification processes (scouting principles), coaching
methodologies, transition of players to higher age-groups. etc. - To be prepared and
signed by the Head of Youth Development of the academy/club
(ii) Club/Academy Objectives: Single document on Club/Academy letterhead consisting
of objectives set by the academy/club for each age group to be achieved for following
season– To be prepared and signed by the Head of Youth Development of the
academy/club
(iii) Weekly Training Schedules: Weekly Training Schedules on the club/academy
letterhead for each age-group including all training sessions and games. (N.B. - time
period for each session to be mentioned for each day. A minimum cycle of 4 weeks of
training schedule has to be shared for each age group submitted). - To be prepared and
signed by the Head Coaches of respective age-groups.

7.3.3 The curriculum must be uploaded in the system for verification.

Criteria 4.
7.4 Talent Identification & Recruitment:
(Weightage = 3 for Head of Player Recruitment & Scouting Plan; Weightage = 2 for
Dedicated Scouts; Maximum points = 20; Minimum points required = 12)

7.4.1 The Academy/Club must have a Head of Player Recruitment. The Head of Player
Recruitment/Chief Scout must have a minimum of AFC/AIFF C - Certificate and has to be
registered on the AIFF Coaches Registration portal. Professional Contract as the “Head of
Player Recruitment” of the dedicated personnel must be uploaded on the system. If the club
does not have a dedicated Head of Player Recruitment or Chief Scout, then the contract of the
technical staff designated with the responsibility has to be uploaded. The contract should
mention the concerned designation and the respective job responsibilities in addition to his or
her primary technical designation.

7.4.2 A scouting plan has to be prepared and uploaded in the system. The scouting plan should
consist of the following:
(i) Places(with states mentioned) covered in all scouting assignments
(ii) Duration of all scouting assignments
(iii) Talent recruitment information through either of the following processes:

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(a) Number of Players signed and registered through transfers from other
academies/clubs
(b) Number of Players signed as unattached through open trials or external reference
(c) Number of Players signed through progression from Baby Leagues organized by
the Club/Academy

7.4.3 Dedicated Scouts: Professional Contract or Proof of employment of the respective personnel
at the club/academy should be uploaded on the system with respective job responsibilities. All
such dedicated scouts must have a minimum of AIFF D - License and has to be registered on
the AIFF Coaches Registration portal.

Criteria 5.
7.5 Player Progression:
(Weightage = 2; Maximum points = 12; Minimum points required = 0)

7.5.1 Club/Academy will be allocated points for all players with a minimum of 2 years or more
(consecutive) registration at the club/academy on AIFF CMS. Only data from AIFF CMS (i.e.
only registered players in the respective AIFF youth competitions will be considered while
calculating for player progression).

Criteria 6.
7.6 Facilities and Infrastructure:
(Weightage = 5 for Full sized pitch availability & Quality of pitches; Weightage = 3 for Small
sized pitches & Floodlights; Weightage = 2 for Football Discussion Room, Gym &
Swimming Pool; Maximum points = 130; Minimum points required = 19)

7.6.1 To pass the criteria:

(i) The Academy/Club must have one full sized football field meeting the required FIFA
dimensions (between 120m x 90 m and 90m x 45m)
(ii) The quality of the surface must be good in terms of level/safety, uniform grass cover,
maintenance and drainage. Points will be allotted on the mentioned factors.
(iii) The Academy/Club must have a Football Discussion Room for indoor/classroom
sessions.

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7.6.2 Points are also allotted in the following categories
(i) Use of Floodlights (between 350 – 450 lux)
(ii) Small size Pitch (between 35m x 20m)
(iii) Gymnasium
(iv) Swimming Pool

7.6.3 Residential Facilities:

(Weightage = 3 for Rooms & Facilities and School & Education; Weightage = 5 for
Maintenance & Hygiene; Maximum points = 60; Minimum points required = 32)
Academies applying through Residential category must have the following:
(i) Residential Rooms for players &staff
(ii) Washrooms for players & staff
(iii) Dining Room
(iv) Kitchen
(v) Leisure/Recreation Room
(vi) Schooling - Academies applying through Residential category must provide proper
schooling to all players; Schooling may be at location or at Open Schools as per Indian
education system. In addition to schooling, academies may also provide private tutors
for the players. For residential clubs/academies, duly signed letters by authorized
signatory from schools mentioning the updated names of players under the school
letterhead addressed to AIFF have to be uploaded along with the terms and
understanding with the club/academy. For private tutors, professional contract or proof
of employment along with their education qualification must be uploaded on the system
i.e. the AIFF Coaches Registration portal under the category of “Official”.
(vii) Maintenance & Hygiene – The Academy/Club must ensure that the maintenance and
hygiene of their residential facilities at least meet average standards.

Criteria 7.
7.7 Medical Provisions:
(Weightage = 5 for Physiotherapist & AED; Weightage = 3 for Doctor, Medical Provisions &
Facilities and Medical Insurance for Players; Maximum points = 50; Minimum points
required = 22)

7.7.1 To pass the criteria:

(i) Academy/Club must have one (1) qualified physiotherapist

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(Diploma/Bachelors/Master’s degree)* - The appointed physiotherapist has to be
registered on the AIFF Coaches Registration portal under the category of “Official”.
The education qualification certificate along with the professional contract of the
employee must be uploaded on the system at the time of the registration. Residential
applicants must have a full-time physiotherapist with the club/academy.
(ii) Insurance is compulsory for all players registered with the Club/Academy. All players
registered in AIFF CRS must be insured under a mediclaim, sports or accidental
insurance coverage taken directly by the academy/club - Insurance copies must be
submitted by academy/club in Accreditation Portal for all players registered across all
age-groups.
(iii) First Aid Kit and AED (Automated External Defibrillator).* -The academy/club must
have first aid kit and an AED (purchased) under the academy/club for their training
sessions and matches. Submission of a rent agreement or utilization letter issued by any
authority for an AED will not be accepted. The purchase invoice of the AED under the
name of the club/academy along with a photo of the device must be uploaded/submitted
in the Accreditation portal. The same will further be checked at the time of inspections.

Criteria 8.
7.8 Leagues & Competitions:
(Weightage = 5 for AIFF Golden Baby League participation; Maximum points for AIFF
Golden Baby Leagues = 25; Minimum points required for AIFF Golden Baby Leagues = 0;
Weightage = 3 for Elite Youth – AIFF competitions; Weightage = 2 for Elite Youth – State
competitions; Weightage = 1 for Elite Youth - District competitions; Maximum points for
Elite Youth Competitions = 50; Minimum points required for Elite Youth Competitions = 0)

7.8.1 Clubs/Academies participating in AIFF Golden Baby Leagues will have to update all data on
the AIFF Golden Baby League App. All matches participated in the baby leagues must be
available & updated in the AIFF Golden Baby League App. Points for Baby League will be
given only as per data drawn from AIFF Golden Baby League App.

7.8.2 Data for number of matches played in any Official Elite Youth Competition participated in
will be drawn from the AIFF Competition Management System (CMS) operated by District
FA/State FA/AIFF. If Proof of Competition cannot be obtained from CMS, then participation
confirmation in the form of a letter from State/District FA under their respective letterhead
duly signed and stamped by the authorised signatory, affiliating the competition with the

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following to be mentioned, will have to be uploaded on the system:
(i) Number and names of Teams participated in the competition
(ii) Schedule of matches played by the concerned team with result.
(iii) Date and Name of the competition organised.
(iv) Age-Group of the competition.

7.8.3 For elite youth competitions, points would only be allotted for matches played with a
minimum regulation time of 90 minutes in U-14 and above age category competitions.
However, for U-13 age category of competitions, points would be allotted for matches played
with a minimum regulation time of 70 minutes.

Criteria 9.
7.9 Administrative Support:
(Weightage = 2; Maximum points = 6; Minimum points required = 6)

7.9.1 To pass the criteria:

(i) An Academy/Club must employ an academy manager and a team manager (separately).
Both the academy manager and the team manager must be registered on the AIFF
Coaches Registration portal - coaching.the-aiff.com as an “Official” of the
club/academy.
(ii) Contracts of all personnel employed under Administrative and Medical structure should
include the following:
(a) Remuneration
(b) Designation with Job description
(c) Contract term mentioning the period of employment and contract validity; if term
is indefinite then termination clause must be specified
(d) Date of issue and signing
(e) Signatures of the contracted staff and employment authority at the club/academy
along with the club/academy seal

Criteria 10.
7.10 Girls Football:
(Weightage = 3; Maximum points = 9; Minimum points required = 0) – data from AIFF CRS

7.10.1 The Academy will be evaluated on a maximum of three age-groups in the Youth category

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(U-18 to U-13). However, for evaluation purposes, between two age-groups, the
academy/club must not have a gap of less than 2 years between successive age-groups

7.10.2 The Academy/Club must have at least 15 registered players including 2 Goalkeepers per
operating age- group on AIFF CRS;

Criteria 11.
7.11 Events:
(Weightage = 3; Maximum points = 25; Minimum points required = 0)

7.11.1 Certificate/Letter issued from FIFA/AFC/AIFF confirming the hosting of the activity to be
uploaded in the system.
7.11.2 Certificate/Letter issued from the AIFF confirming the league operator as a recognised AIFF
Golden Baby League operator to be uploaded in the system.

7.12 In order to pass the Academy Accreditation Criteria, an academy/club must secure a
minimum total of 116 points overall besides securing the minimum points required for each
criterion. An academy/club cannot secure more than 567 points overall.

7.13 For eligibility to participate in the AIFF Youth Leagues 2020-21, a separate
communication from the League Department of AIFF will be shared later, based on the
accreditation results for the 2020-21season. Participation in respective age-group
leagues will be confirmed through formulation, using star ratings.

7.14 The AIFF reserves the right to alter, amend, remove from and/or add to these rules as and
when necessary.

7.15 The following is the appendix for Star Gradation under the Academy Accreditation
process:

(i) Basic star – 116 – 191 points

(ii) 1 star – 192 – 266 points

(iii) 2 star – 267 – 341 points

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(iv) 3 star – 342 – 416 points

(v) 4 star – 417 – 491 points

(vi) 5 star – 492 or more points

7.16 In addition to the above-mentioned criteria, the following requirements are also
mandatory for accreditation application:
(i) All Academies have to be affiliated or registered under the State Football Association of
its location for accreditation application.
(ii) All players registered under the academy/club must be registered with the AIFF
Centralised Registration System (AIFF CRS).
(iii) All coaches, medical staff and administrative support staff employed by the
Academy/Club must be registered with the AIFF Coaches Registration Portal.
(iv) Any contracted staff (i.e. Technical, Medical or Administrative) employed with a
club/academy cannot be employed in any football position or capacity for another
club/academy on AIFF CMS to prevent conflict of interest.
(v) Only one Academy/Club under a common umbrella/parent unit can get accredited from
each state.
(vi) Academies with a good record of star rating in the past season might be exempted from
the inspection procedure in the next season, at the discretion of AIFF, provided accurate
updates are provided through documents online.
(vii) Academies must inform AIFF within 7 days of any staff's termination. Replacement of
the same must be found and notified to AIFF within 30 days from the date of
termination of the previous employee.

8. Timelines:
8.1 Academy Accreditation Criteria to be shared on www.the-aiff.com on 10th January, 2020.
8.2 Academy Accreditation Workshops will be held between 20th and 29th February, 2020.
8.3 Application Window will be open from 10th January, 2020 till 31st March, 2020.
8.4 Application has to be submitted with a Non-Refundable fee of Rs. 25,000/- (demand draft in
favour of All India Football Federation – payable at New Delhi) and with a duly filled and
signed application form available at https://www.the-aiff.com/documents - under the
“Developing The Game” section by 31st March, 2020.

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8.5 All official documents, required under the accreditation process as mentioned above in these
Regulations must be submitted in the accreditation portal by 31st March, 2020.
8.6 Assessment of uploads/documents followed by inspections will be done over a period of 3-4
weeks.
8.7 Academies failing to comply with the criteria after submission deadline will be intimated on
their shortcomings and will be given a final deadline of 10th May, 2020 for re-submission of
all incorrect documents.
8.8 Announcement of results will happen by 10th June, 2020.
8.9 NOTE: Academy Accreditation is not the sole criteria to participate in the AIFF Youth
Leagues.
8.10 The Accreditation will be valid for 1 season only. Fresh applications will be accepted for next
season.

9. Grievance/ Dispute Redressal:

9.1 In the case of any grievance related to the overall score or score in any individual criteria of a
Club or Academy, the concerned Club/Academy may write to the AIFF and request for the
matter to be examined by the AIFF Academy Accreditation Grievance Redressal Committee.
9.2 The AIFF Academy Accreditation Grievance Redressal Committee, to comprise of
individuals belonging to various AIFF departments, shall examine whether the due process of
accreditation, including steps required to be taken for the accreditation process to be
concluded, have been conducted or not, and accordingly convey their views to the concerned
Club/Academy.
9.3 It is clarified that the AIFF Academy Accreditation Grievance Redressal Committee shall
only examine the proper conduct of the underlying accreditation process as mentioned above
in these Regulations, and shall not examine the subjectivity of any marks allotted.
9.4 In the case of any dispute between a Club or Academy and a Player, the aggrieved party may
write to the AIFF and the matter may be referred to the concerned Committee in accordance
to the provisions of the AIFF Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
9.5 In the case of any dispute between a Club or Academy and a Technical Staff or Medical Staff
or Administrative Support Staff, the aggrieved party may write to the AIFF and the matter
may be referred to the concerned Committee in accordance with the provisions of the AIFF
Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, if provided.

10. By entering into Academy Accreditation process of AIFF, the academy/club is deemed to
have authorised AIFF to make relevant details including but not limited to results,

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Academy/Club names, registered address and contact details public, as necessary.

11. AIFF reserves the right to conduct spot checks at anytime during and after the Academy
Accreditation till the start of next Academy Accreditation cycle.

12. AIFF also reserves the right to amend the result of Academy Accreditation of such
academies/clubs wherein the report of the official representative of AIFF who has conducted
the spot checks, have reported irregularities against the documents and information submitted
by the academy/club in their Academy Accreditation application. The amendment can be of
any form, including but limited to change of star ratings, cancellation of the Accreditation for
the season, etc.

13. The rules and regulations thus laid supersede all other prior regulations.

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Criteria No. Accreditation Points Appendix

Training Age-group Teams with Registered Players

Cr. 1 Age-group Points
Points per age group 1

Technical Staff
License Points
AFC Pro Certificate 5
AFC A-Certificate 4
AFC B-Certificate 3
Cr. 2
AFC/AIFF C-Certificate 2
AIFF D-Certificate 1
AFC Goalkeeping Level-1 3
AFC Goalkeeping Level-2 4
AFC Goalkeeping Level-3 5

Approved Curriculum & Training Plans

Submissions Points
Club/Academy Philosophy 1
Cr. 3
Club/Academy Objectives 1
Weekly Training Schedule of all operating
2
age-groups

Talent Identification & Recruitment

Scouts Points
Head of Player Recruitment/Chief Scout 3
Cr. 4
Other Dedicated Scouts
1-3 1
4-6 2

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7-9 3
10 or more 4
Scouting Plan 1

Player Progression
Points (for 2 years
No. of Players
or more in CMS)
1-4 Players 1
Cr. 5
5-9 Players 2
10-14 Players 3
15-19 Players 4
20 or more Players 5

Facilities & Infrastructure

Football Pitch Availability Points
Ownership 3
Lease 2
Rent/Revenue Sharing 1

Football Pitch Quality Points

Level/Safety 2
Uniform Grass Cover 1
Maintenance 1
Cr. 6 Drainage 1

Other Rooms & Facilities (Available) Points

Football Analysis & Discussion Room 2
Gymnasium 1
Swimming Pool 1
Floodlights 2

Residential Facility
Accommodation Type Points
Semi Private Room (2-3 pax) 3

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Multiple Occupancy (4-6 pax) 2
Dormitory (7 or more pax) 1

Furnishing Points
Fully Furnished 3
Semi Furnished 2
Unfurnished 1

Washroom to Player/Staff Ratio Points

5 players/staff or less 3
10 players/staff or less 2
11 players/staff or more 1

Other Rooms & Facilities (Available) Points

Recreation/Leisure Room 1
Dining Room 1
Kitchen 1

Maintenance & Hygiene Points

Excellent 3
Good 2
Average 1
Poor 0

Schooling & Education Points

Admission at local School/Open Schooling 3

Private Tutor 1

Medical Provisions
Physiotherapist Qualification Points
Cr. 7 Masters Degree 2
Bachelors Degree/Diploma 1

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Medical Doctor Points
Full Time 2
Consulting 1

Medical Provisions & Facilities Points

Ambulance 3
Furnished Medical Treatment Room 2
Medical Kit 1

Automated External Defibrilator Points

Purchased 1

Medical Insurance for Players Points

Insurance taken by the club/academy 3

Leagues & Competitions

AIFF Baby Leagues
Participating Teams Points
8-12 Teams 1
13-19 Teams 2
20 or more Teams 3

Cr. 8 Elite Youth Competition

Matches per age-group teams Points
6-10 2
11-16 3
17-22 4
23-28 5
29-34 6
35 or more 7

Administrative Support
Cr. 9 Administrative Staff Points
Academy Manager 2

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Team Manager 1

Girls Football
Cr. 10 Age-group Points
Points per age group 1

Events
FIFA/AFC/AIFF Events Organised Points
Cr. 11 Courses 3
Seminars 5
Baby Leagues 6

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