In line with its commitment to promote greater transparency and disclosure of its core internal activities, FIFA has today published its Guide to Submitting a Minor Application (Guide).
Since 2001, the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) have prohibited the international transfer of a minor (a player under the age of 18), with limited exceptions. As per the most recent edition of the RSTP, a player under the age of 18 may only transfer internationally if they meet one of six limited exceptions.
The primary objective of the Guide is to educate football stakeholders and the general public on the process and documentary requirements relating to the international transfer of minors. Its publication was prompted by the recent codification of new exceptions, the high number of cases received and their increasing complexity, and the need to provide legal certainty to football stakeholders.
The Guide contains:
(i) a complete overview of the application process for the international transfer of a minor;
(ii) a comprehensive summary of the types of applications and the relevant documents required for each specific application;
(iii) a frequently‑asked‑questions section providing practical advice and clarifications, based on real-life cases encountered by the FIFA administration; and
(iv) useful legal and regulatory materials, in particular, FIFA circulars and CAS awards, which provide further insight on the policy reasons underpinning FIFA's rules on the protection of minors in the football transfer system.
The publication of the Guide is thus not only highly beneficial for clubs, member associations, players and their parents or legal guardians, but also provides the general public with a clearer understanding of this important and complex topic.
An explanatory video, providing some further background, has also been published. The Guide can be downloaded here and is also accessible in all four official FIFA languages (English, French, German and Spanish) on legal.fifa.com.
