2003 Indian Federation Cup

The All India Football Federation announced on 11 May 2003 that the tournament would commence on 25 July 2003 and completed on 8 August.^[4] The date of commencement was revised to 26 July in an announcement made on 10 July. The tournament made a return after a year's break.^[5] The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata was announced as the venue of the matches and that 16 teams would compete.^[6] The fixtures were announced on the same day.^[6] While all matches were played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, the third quarter-final between Mahindra United and Air India was played at the Sailen Manna Stadium (then called Howrah Municipal Stadium) in order "to rest and repair the pitch" (former stadium).^[7]

Two new features were added for the tournament. Doping tests were conducted according to guidelines laid down by FIFA in that "random sampling of a player of each team selected by the draw of lots" was conducted. Secondly, players and match officials were brought under a personal accident policy of ₹100,000, while the spectators, including the media, were covered under a similar policy of ₹50,000.^[5]

All teams that competed in the 2002–03 season of the National Football League were included in the tournament alongside the top four teams from the National Football League Second Division, the hitherto second tier of the Indian football league system.^[5]