The 15th edition of the SAFF Championship is set to commence on June 15, with the South Asian Football Federation's (SAFF) executive committee approving a new home-and-away format on Wednesday.

The regional governing body replaced the previous centralized venue structure, based on recommendations from sponsoring partner Sports 5.

"The meeting decided to hold the SAFF Championship in a new format, on a home-and-away basis, and it will take nearly 30 to 35 days after starting in June 15 this year," SAFF general secretary Anwarul Haque Helal told The Daily Star over the phone the board meeting in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Under the new format, each of the seven participating nations will play six matches -- three at home and three away. However, the India-Pakistan matches will be held at a neutral venue.

The meeting also approved two new tournaments for this year: the SAFF U-23 Championship and the SAFF Women's Club Cup Championship. The latter, set to run from November 6–19, will feature eight teams competing at a centralised venue.

However, given that not all countries have women's clubs, FIFA rankings will determine the number of teams from each nation.

Moreover, the SAFF is on the verge of signing a deal with Sports 5 to hold the SAFF Men's Club Championship in 2026. The tournament will involve eight teams, playing home-and-away matches, with the top-ranked team having two representatives.