Now, Hockey India League from January 1

A cash-rich Hockey India League (HIL), featuring six city-based franchises and comprising top international and Indian players, will be held from January 1 to 30, 2013.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has okayed a 30-day window at the start of next year so that all top players can participate in the league.

There will be an IPL-style auction of players in September.

"The FIH has given clearance for one month next year during which no international event will be held. This has been done so that top players like Jamie Dwyer, Teun de Nooijer are free from any international engagements. It will be a six-city tournament where franchises will buy the teams either through bidding or by invitation," Hockey India secretary-general Narinder Batra said on Friday.

According to Batra, the process of locking in players who will sign a contract with Hockey India has begun.

"We have 96 top Indian players (48 senior India probables and 48 junior India probables) who would obviously be a part of the auctions. Apart from that, we would have 60 foreign players (10 for each of six cities). The Pakistan players will be allowed subject to clearance from the government," Batra informed.

He added that players will be given the prerogative to chose their base price, which will have four slabs.

Hockey India has selected 12 cities that have proper facilities to host a tournament of this magnitude and will zero in on six.

Each team will have a spending cap of Rs 3 crore and can take a maximum of 24 players.

Hockey India's own league is seen as a response to World Hockey Series (WSH), which was launched by the rival Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sports last year.

The WSH, however, does not have the sanction of FIH.

There will be six Indian marquee players in each team along with six foreign marquee players. It will be mandatory to field two Under-19 players for at least 20 minutes.

Basic outline of the league:

Tournament format: Home-and away basis

No of teams: Franchises-based, in six cities

Salary cap: Each team will have a Rs 3 crore cap

Player price: Four slabs of base prices on which the bidding will start.

Salary of foreign players: 10 percent of their auction price goes to country hockey federation, five percent to their clubs. (Indian players get a waiver)

Playing conditions: Four quaters with couple of time-outs

Number of players: 24 per team (14 Indian and 10 foreign)

Playing XI: Maximum of five foreign players

Icon players: Each franchise can have six marquee Indian and foreign players each.