The 2014 ISL Inaugural Domestic Draft was the first player draft conducted by the Indian Super League, establishing the domestic player selection process for the league's inaugural season.
Key Facts
- Total players in draft pool
- 84 Indian domestic players
- Teams participating in draft
- 6 out of 8 ISL teams
- Non-participating teams
- NorthEast United FC and Goa
- Players with national team ties
- 40 of 84 players
- Draft duration
- 22–23 July 2014 (two days)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The formation of the Indian Super League as a new domestic football competition in India required a structured mechanism to distribute Indian players across its franchises, prompting the creation of a formal domestic draft process ahead of the league's first season.
Over two days on 22–23 July 2014 in Mumbai, six of the eight ISL clubs selected from a pool of 84 Indian domestic players. NorthEast United FC and Goa opted out, instead sourcing their Indian players directly from I-League clubs Dempo and Shillong Lajong respectively. Forty of the 84 eligible players had national team experience.
The draft established the domestic player rosters for the inaugural ISL season, ensuring each participating club had an Indian core. It also set a precedent for how the league would integrate domestic talent alongside its international signings in subsequent seasons.