The Kerala Premier League is a state-level football league organized by the Kerala Football Association and played in the state of Kerala, India.[2] Founded in 1998, the Kerala Football League was the first football league in Kerala, and was rebranded in 2013 as the Kerala Premier League. For sponsorship reasons it is officially known as the Scoreline Kerala Premier League.
 | |
| Organising body | Kerala Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded |
|
| Country | India |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | I-League 3 |
| Relegation to | Kerala Premier League Second Division |
| Current champions | Kerala United (2nd title)[1] |
| Most championships | SBT Thiruvananthapuram (6 titles) |
| TV partners | FanCode SportsCast India (YouTube) |
| Current: 2023–24 | |
Kerala United is the current champion in the Kerala Premier League.
History
Kerala Football League
After the introduction of the National Football League by the All India Football Federation, the Kerala Football Association started Kerala Football League (KFL) in 1998. The team finishing top was nominated to 2nd division of the National Football League.
1998 season
FC Kochin was crowned the inaugural champion. SBT finished in second place.
1999 season
The second edition of Kerala Football League was held in Kochi and Kollam in December 1999. FC Kochin retained the tille, and SBT FC become the runners up.[3]
2007 season
SBT FC won the title, and Central Excise Kochi become the runners up.[4]
Format
The league features teams from the state of Kerala affiliated with the KFA. The top four teams from each group qualify for the final round.
A women's league started in the 2014–15 season with 8 teams.[5][6]
Sponsorship
Kerala Premier League has been sponsored since 2013–14 season. Ramco Cements was the sponsors of the league for the first 2 seasons.
- 2013–15, 2018–21 : Ramco[2]
- 2015–16: Dentcare Dental Lab
- 2016–17: Cochin Shipyard[7]
- 2017–18: ICL Fincorp[8]
- 2022–: The Scoreline
Team statistics
| Team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| SBI Kerala | 6 | 5 |
| Gokulam Kerala FC | 2 | 3 |
| KSEB FC | 2 | 2 |
| Real Malabar FC | 0 | 0 |
| Kerala United FC | 2 | 0 |
| BASCO FC | 0 | 0 |
| Parappur FC | 0 | 0 |
| Kerala Blasters B | 1 | 0 |
| Luca Soccer Club | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Threads | 1 | 0 |
| SAT TIRUR | 0 | 1 |
| Kovalam FC | 0 | 0 |
| Kerala Police | 0 | 1 |
| FC Areekode | 0 | 1 |
| Muthoot FA | 0 | 0 |
| Shooters United Pande | 0 | 0 |
| FC Kerala | 0 | 0 |
Summary
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala Football League | ||
| 1998–99 | Kochin | SBI Kerala |
| 1999–2000[9] | Kochin (2) | SBI Kerala |
| 2000–01 | SBI Kerala | Trivandrum Titanium |
| 2001–02 | League cancelled | |
| 2002–03 | League cancelled | |
| 2003–04 | SBI Kerala (2) | Kochin |
| 2004–05[10] | KSEB | SBI Kerala |
| 2005–06 | Viva Kerala | SBI Kerala |
| 2006–07[11] | SBI Kerala (3) | Central Excise |
| 2007–08 | SBI Kerala (4) | Trivandrum Titanium |
| 2009–13 | League cancelled | |
| Kerala Premier League | ||
| 2013–14 | Eagles | SBI Kerala |
| 2014–15 | SBI Kerala (5) | Kerala Police |
| 2015–16 | SBI Kerala (6) | Central Excise |
| 2016–17 | KSEB (2) | Thrissur |
| Gokulam Kerala | Quartz | |
| 2018–19 | Indian Navy | Gokulam Kerala |
| 2019–20 | Kerala Blasters | Gokulam Kerala |
| 2020–21 | Gokulam Kerala | KSEB |
| 2021–22 | Golden Threads | KSEB |
| 2022–23 | Kerala United | Gokulam Kerala |
| 2023–24 | Kerala United | SAT Tirur |
Top scorers
| Season | Top scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 |  Askar | Central Excise Cochin | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Firos Kalathingal | Kerala Police | 7 |
| 2017–18 |  Emmanuel Aidoo | Quartz FC | 12 |
| 2018–19 | Vishnu  Harry Moris Bipaka Thapa Christian Sabah | Shooters United Padne FC Kerala Indian Navy (football club) Gokulam Kerala FC | 6 |
| 2019–20 | Isahak Nuhu Seidu  Kamara E. | Golden Threads FC SAT | 8 |
| 2020–21 |  Saliou Guindo | Gokulam Kerala FC | 8 |
| 2021–22 | Isahak Nuhu Seidu | Golden Threads FC | 12 |
| 2022–23 | Samuel Mensa Konney | Gokulam Kerala FC | 10 |
Media coverage
FanCode and SportsCast India are the current official streaming partners of the Kerala Premier League.