The I-League second division will kick off in March 2018 with 18 teams divided into three groups. Reserve teams of seven Indian Super League clubs (except ATK, Northeast United FC, Mumbai City FC) will compete in the preliminary round. The end result will be a promotion to the next tier.
The preliminary round which will kick-off on March 16 will continue until May 15. Teams will play on a home and away basis within the group.
The winners of each group and the best second-placed team will qualify for the final round.
Four teams will play at the central venue on a ‘single-leg’ league system which will run from May 21 to May 27 at the end which the winners would be promoted to the next tier of Indian football.
If reserve teams of ISL clubs finish as winners or runners-up in any group, the position will be passed on to the next non-ISL team.
Each club can register a maximum of three foreign players for the second division league out of which one player has to be a national of an AFC Member Association.
The Groups of the preliminary round are:
Group A: Real Kashmir, Lonestar Kashmir, Delhi Dynamos FC (reserves), Hindustan FC, Delhi United, FC Pune City (reserves)
Group B: Madhya Bharat SC, FC Goa (reserves), Kerala Blasters (reserves), Ozone FA, Fateh Hyderabad AFC, FC Kerala
Group C: TRAU FC, Langsning FC, Mohammedan Sporting, JSW Bengaluru FC (reserves), Jamshedpur FC (reserves), Chennaiyin FC (reserves)