The IFA-organized under-12 football league matches are going to be played between 9-a-side teams for the first time this season. The under-12 league that will be staged in the four zones is likely to commence in April. More than 40 teams are scheduled to take part in the tournament which is played on the league-cum-knock-out basis. 

The reason behind changing the number of footballers in the squad from 11 to 9 is that the IFA secretariat feels, in the 9-a-side game every boy will get an opportunity to have more possession of the ball and they will be able to enjoy it. In a recently-held meeting on the nursery league for the under-14 boys which will also start in April, the IFA has decided to be stringent on the age-proof of the participating boys. 

If any player is caught with age manipulation then the respective team will be suspended for the next two years according to a decision taken in the meeting. Simultaneously, the Bengal football's ruling body has decided not to give any prize money to the champion team. Rather the champion team can receive various kinds of incentives. 

Significantly, IFA has plans to introduce an overall scoring system to set the champion team in the nursery league. 

IFA secretary Anirban Dutta, commenting on the plans said, "We want to bring in an overall scoring system before declaring a champion team. A team that will become champion on the field may not be champion ultimately. We want to make an assessment of the nursery team, about its infrastructure, whether it has ground, whether it has medical support staff, and whether the club nurtures its nursery players properly-these aspects will be observed before giving the respective team the highest score and declare champion." Dutta however revealed the plans are in the initial stage, but they want to materialize them. 

Those nursery teams will not be provided with financial grants who do not have own grounds.