IIT Madras introduced India’s first three-team football format ‘OmegaBall’

IIT Madras has introduced a new sport called OmegaBall. It is a new and unique three-team football format and has been introduced in the country for the first time.

This initiative not only adds a new dimension to competitive sports but also shows how committed IIT Madras is to innovation beyond academics.

With the launch of this sport, the institute has also proposed to create a national-level OmegaBall club to promote and expand it across India.

To mark this achievement, IIT Madras organized an inter-college OmegaBall tournament on 17 April, 2026 at its campus football ground.

Several well-known institutions from Chennai participated in this event, including:

Loyola College, Guru Nanak College, Dr. Ambedkar Law University, The New College, Saveetha University, and YMCA College of Physical Education; along with teams from IIT Madras itself.

This tournament generated tremendous enthusiasm among students and highlighted the growing popularity of innovative sports formats.

A new version of football: OmegaBall

OmegaBall is a fast-paced form of football with a completely new gameplay structure.

Unlike traditional football, three teams play simultaneously on a circular field that has three goals. Each team attacks two goals while defending one, creating continuous and intense action in the game.

This format is already gaining popularity in regions like the United States, Brazil, and Europe, making it a rapidly emerging global sport.

This initiative was introduced by V. Kamakoti, who emphasized the importance of innovation in sports.

According to the rules of the game, OmegaBall is played on a circular field with a diameter of about 50–55 meters, with three goalposts placed at 120-degree intervals.

This setup creates a dynamic and multi-directional playing environment. Matches are played in three sessions of 13 minutes each, and there is no offside rule, which maintains the flow of the game and encourages attacking play.

IIT Madras

Established in 1959 with technical and financial assistance from the Federal Republic of Germany, IIT Madras is a premier engineering institution located in Chennai, India. The first Indo-German agreement for establishing the institute was signed in Bonn in 1958.

Inaugurated by Prof. Humayun Kabir, it was the third IIT to be established and is known for its 600-acre green campus and, since 2019, its top NIRF ranking. Prof. Humayun Kabir was the Union Minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs at that time.