How to organise a local football league in your city?

I organised a 7-a-side league in Delhi for 2 seasons so I can share what worked: **League Format:** With 12-15 teams, go for a **group stage + knockout**. Split into 3 groups of 4-5 teams. Each team plays others in their group once (saves ground costs). Top 2 from each group + 2 best 3rd-place teams go to quarters. This keeps the season to about 8-10 weekends. **Referees:** Contact the local district football association. They have certified refs who do weekend games for ₹500-800 per match. You need 1 centre ref and ideally 1 assistant. For 7-a-side, 1 ref is honestly fine. Also contact local college PE departments – many sports students are happy to ref for experience. **Insurance/Liability:** This is the most ignored part. Get a basic event liability insurance – costs around ₹15,000-20,000 for the entire season. Have every player sign a waiver. I used a simple Google Form with a declaration. Not legally bulletproof but better than nothing. Also make sure the ground owner's insurance covers sports injuries. **Sponsors:** Start with local businesses – sports shops, gyms, restaurants near the ground. For a first season, don't expect cash. Offer them banner space at the ground and social media mentions in exchange for prizes (kits, trophies, meal vouchers). Once you have photos and engagement data from Season 1, approaching bigger sponsors for Season 2 becomes much easier. **Budget tip:** Charge each team ₹5000-8000 registration fee. With 12 teams that's ₹60,000-96,000 which should cover ground rental, refs, and basic trophies for the season.