The AIFF League Committee opted to keep the current amount of foreigners a club can sign in the I-League. The clubs will be permitted to register six foreign players, just like in the 2022-23 season. In their matchday squad, they will include one player from an AFC Member Association. They can only field four foreigners, however. At any stage during a match, at least one of them must be from an AFC Member Association.
The Committee deliberated long on the criteria for the number of foreign players allowed in the league, at the request of a number of Hero I-League clubs, and came up with the suggestion that the foreigners quota be reduced in order to allow more Indian players to get opportunities in the Hero I-League.
Beginning with the following season, the All India Football Federation Executive Committee would no longer allow foreigners (including men and women) to compete in any category of municipal, district, or state leagues in India. The federation previously prohibited international players from competing in the I-League 2nd Division. AIFF Ex Co. verified this in a statement emailed to its member groups.
Igor Stimac, the national coach, has recommended limiting the number of international players participating in the ISL and I-League to give himself a larger player pool. The Committee decided to expand the maximum number of players allowed in an I-League team from 30 to 35 after receiving a request from the clubs. The Committee also thought it was a good idea to institute a youth player quota, which requires teams to recruit eight U-22 players for their respective I-League squads.