The Pune Football League is an organized competition overseen by the Poona District Football Association in Pune District of Maharashtra.[1] It follows a ladder-based structure and includes four divisions with over 100 teams.[2] The league encompasses teams from various locations across Pune District, the city of Pune, spanning from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Hadapsar.[3][4]
 PDFA Super Division, top flight of Pune Football | |
| Organising body | Poona District Football Association |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Divisions | 4 (Super Division Division One Division Two Division Three) |
| Number of teams | 100+ |
| Level on pyramid | 5-8 (in Indian football league system) |
| Current champions | Genesis FC (3 titles) |
| Website | https://pdfa.co.in/ |
| Current: 2022 Pune Football League | |
The top-level divisions, namely the PFL Super and First Divisions, operate with a professional or semi-professional setup. These teams typically practice around three times a week, and players receive a monthly stipend as per prior agreement. In the lower divisions, players receive match fees per game, typically ranging between 50 and 300 rupees, along with conveyance allowances. However, certain low-budget teams may not provide any monetary benefits. Practices for these teams usually occur once a week, on average.
Most teams lack additional support staff such as physiotherapists or nutritionists, with the coach managing the team's financial matters and overseeing other aspects of the team.
During the pre-season phase, clubs conduct trials, and the final roster of twenty-two players is registered with the Mumbai District Football Association. It is prohibited for a player to represent two teams in the same calendar year.
The initial round-robin phase of the league typically lasts for three months, and the top-performing teams proceed to a month-long post-season phase to determine the champions and promoted teams.
Structure
edit| PDFA (Poona District Football Association) Football League | |
|---|---|
| Tier | Division |
| 1 (5 on Indian Football Pyramid) |
PFL Super Division ↑promote (to 3rd Division League) ↓relegate |
| 2 (6 on Indian Football Pyramid) |
PFL Division One ↑promote ↓relegate |
| 3 (7 on Indian Football Pyramid) |
PFL Division Two ↑promote ↓relegate |
| 4 (8 on Indian Football Pyramid) |
PFL Division Three ↑promote |
PDFA Super Division League
editThe Super Division represents the highest level of competition in the PFL, which is organized by the Pune District Football Association.
Format
editIn this format, all teams participate in an all-play-all format, where each team plays against every other team. Following this preliminary phase, the top six teams from each group will advance to the postseason playoffs. It is important to note that the points and goals scored during the preliminary phase do not carry over to the next round. At the conclusion of the round-robin playoff league, the team standing in first place and the team standing in second place will be declared the winner and runner-up, respectively. Additionally, they will be promoted to the MAHA League for the 2018-19 season. Conversely, the two teams at the bottom of the preliminary league will be demoted to Division One for the 2019–20 season.
Participating Teams
edit| AIYFA Sky Hawks A | Bombay Engineering Group |
| CMS Falcons A | Deccan XI "A" |
| Diego Juniors FCA | Fatima XI A |
| Greenbox Chetak FC A | Indrayani Sports Club A |
| Mischief Makers FC | Parshuramians SC A |
| Phoenix SC A | Sangam Young Boys A |
| SSKEMS FC | Class X Veral, Khed |
PDFA First Division League
editThe Division One structure has been recently introduced by the Pune District Football Association (PDFA).[5]
Format
editIn this format, all the teams in the division are divided into two or more groups and compete in a preliminary phase of round-robin games. The top two teams from each group will progress to the postseason playoffs. It is important to note that the points and goals scored during the preliminary phase do not carry over to the next round. At the conclusion of the round-robin playoff league, the team standing in first place and the team standing in second place will be declared the winner and runner-up, respectively. Furthermore, they will earn promotion to the Super Division for the 2018-19 season. Conversely, the teams that finish last in their respective groups at the end of the preliminary league will be relegated to Division Two for the 2019–20 season.
Participating Teams
edit| Aryans Sports A | Association Poona Social | City Club | City Police - Pune | Commandos FC A |
| Deccan XI FC B | Deccan XI FC D | Ghorpadi Young Ones XI | Giantz FC A | Gunners Football Club |
| JOLLY RANGEHILLS FC | PIFA | Rangehills Milan | Roopali SC A | Ghorpadi Tamil United |
| Sangvi Football Club A | TIGER COMBINE | UNITED POONA SPORTS ACADEMY A | Utkarsh Krida Manch A | VOBA |
PDFA Second Division League
editThe Division Two has been announced by the Pune District Football Association (PDFA) and will feature twenty teams, similar to the previous year.
Format
editIn this format, all the teams in the division will be divided into three groups and participate in a preliminary phase of round-robin games. The top two teams from each group will progress to the postseason playoffs. It's important to note that the points and goals scored during the preliminary phase will not carry over to the next round. The post-season playoffs will consist of a league phase followed by a single-leg knockout format to determine the participants in the Division Two Final. All eight quarterfinalists will earn promotion to Division One for the 2019–20 season.
Participating Teams
edit| AIYFA Sky Hawks B | Ashoka FC | Blue Stag Sports Academy | Central Railways - Pune | CMS Falcons B | Deccan XI FC C |
| FC BECKDINHO A (FCB-A) | FC Joseph | FC Shivneri | FIN IQ GOG FCC | GOLFA | Dynamites SC |
| Greenbox Chetak FC B | Khadki Blues A | KIRKEENS FC | NDA YSC | NEW INDIA SOCCER CLUB | Parshuramians SC B |
| PCH LIONS | Rahul FA | Ram Sporting A | RANGEHILLS YOUNG BOYS | Real Pune United | Sangam Young Boys C |
| Strikers FC A | SUKHAI FC | Swaraj FC | Unique Wanowrie FC | Valley Hunters FC | Wanwadi Sports Club |
PDFA Third Division League
editThe Pune District Football Association (PDFA) has made the decision to restructure the Pune Football League, introducing the new PFL Division Three, which will be one of the largest divisions. This year, a total of 51 teams will participate in the third division.
Format
editIn this format, all the teams in the division will be divided into eight or more groups and compete in a preliminary phase of round-robin games. The top two or three teams from each group will progress to the postseason playoffs. It's important to note that the points and goals scored during the preliminary phase will not carry over to the next round. The post-season playoffs will consist of a league phase followed by a single-leg knockout format to determine the participants in the Division Three Final. All eight quarterfinalists will earn promotion to Division Two for the 2019–20 season.
Participating Teams
edit| Bhor FC | INFANTS FC | Akhil Bhusari Colony | Friends XI | Utkarsh Krida Manch B | Mathew FA | Indrayani Sports Club B |
| DMR FC | Invedors FC | Thundercatz B | Black Hawks FC | Predators FC | Golden Feather FC | Bharati FC |
| Giantz FC B | Bopodi Soccer Club | Commandos FC B | UNITED POONA SPORTS ACADEMY B | KMP XI | Phoenix SC B | Pune Pioneers FC |
| Eagle FC | Nav Maharashtra FC | Association Poona Social - B | Mominpura FC | Aryans Sports B | Shivajians FC - C | |
| JUNNER TALUKA FOOTBALL CLUB | Sunny Days | AFA Samford | NAAZ FA | KNIGHTS XI | Sai Football Academy(SAI SPORTS) | |
| National Youth FA | Yoddha FC | Puneri Warriors | Saswad Football Club | CMS Falcons C | Galactik Warriors Football Club | |
| Poona Social Sports Club | Diego Juniors FCA U-21 | Snigmay FCBETA A-team | VOBA B | Telecom Sport.Club | Highlanders FC | |
| Noisy Boys | Legends United Football Club India | Daksh Football Academy | Sangvi Football Club B | Galaxy United Football Club | P. C. H. LIONS B |
References
edit- ^ This FIFA season, Poona District Football Association gets a football ground DNA India. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Football Association Profile - Pune District Football Association, Pune, India | SoccerTrac.com". soccertrac.com. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ "PDFA League Pune: Giantz 'A', Ghorpadi Tamil United begin Super-8 with wins". Punekar News. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ "Football, eh!? 212 clubs aboard the Pune District Football Association jamboree". Hindustan Times. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ "Tegh Bahadur football tourney: Giving Pune's first divisional football a shot in right direction". hindustantimes.com. The Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.