CASTLE Lager Premiership has been thrown into disarray after the ZIFA Assembly made a resolution to promote four teams from the first division at the end of this season.

Traditionally four teams are relegated from the top flight and a similar number gains promotion from the country’s four regions.

However, a ZIFA Assembly which was held in July last year altered this when it made a resolution that starting this year they would relegate two teams finally giving in to the concerns that every season the top flight was losing  a quarter of the league through relegation hampering the development of football.

But the Assembly which met for their annual indaba on Saturday pulled a shocker when they reversed that decision to demote two teams from the league at the end of 2016 season.

This development means Tsholotsho and Mutare City who were still fighting for survival have been relegated while Chapungu, Triangle and Hwange overnight have become strong relegation candidates.

According to some councillors who were part of the annual general meeting at the Rainbow Towers and requested anonymity the sticking point was on the play offs logistics.

“When the resolution was passed on last year by ZIFA Assembly, it was agreed that the PSL was going to sponsor the play offs.

“Then it was also resolved that there would be subsequent meetings between ZIFA and PSL to facilitate changes to the constitution.

“But a letter from the PSL to ZIFA to the effect that they are not in a position to sponsor the play offs come end of season made the councillors to decide to revert to which has always been the norm relegating four teams.

“It was put to vote and obviously all the 16 teams were against the idea to relegate four teams while 24 councillors voted for the decision to have four teams promoted and vice versa,” he said.

A total of 53 councillors were at the indaba and others chose not to vote.

Another councillor added that ZIFA president Phillip Chiyangwa gave PSL chairman Peter Dube who also sits in the council a chance to defend his constituency but Dube is said to have failed to convince the councillors and angered them further in the process when he said they are not sponsors and their sponsors will definitely not be comfortable with the league taking the budget for the national play offs.