The FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee (FSC), chaired by Victor Montagliani, took further steps in the reform of the transfer system by endorsing key measures included in the third reform package during its meeting held by videoconference today.
Following a series of meetings with stakeholders from the professional game that took place from February to April 2021 and the subsequent agreement of objectives by the Task Force Transfer System, the FSC today confirmed a number of general principles:
General principles of the third reform package approved by the FSC
1) International transfer of minors
Humanitarian exception: to examine the humanitarian exception in article 19 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) and whether it could be applied more flexibly or modernised to reflect "real-life" cases that are rejected.
Trials: to explore a regulatory framework for trials in order to provide legal certainty and protect minors (and all footballers) from exploitation.
Private academies: to explore the possibility of reviewing and modernising the regulation of private academies (currently covered by article 19bis of the RSTP) operating outside the scope of organised football.
Safeguarding: to explore the possibility and feasibility of minimum protection standards for minors who transfer internationally.
2) Squad sizes (loans)
To combat the hoarding of players, stakeholders agreed on new loan rules in February 2020. However, the introduction of these rules was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FSC agreed on the implementation of the new loan rules as of 1 July 2022.
3) Registration periods (transfer windows)
Flexible application of time allocation to registration periods: flexibility to be allowed regarding the time allocated to registration periods each season.
Association football calendar: redefinition of the correlation between the: (i) season start date; (ii) national (league) competition start date; and (iii) opening and closing of the first registration period of a season.
End of registration periods: to explore more possibilities for unemployed players to be registered outside registration periods.
