REGULATIONS
on the Status andTransfer of PlayersFédération Internationale de Football Association
President:
Secretary General:
Address:

Telephone:
Fax:
Internet:

Gianni Infantino
Fatma SamouraFIFA
FIFA-Strasse 20
P.O. Box8044 Zurich
Switzerland+41 (0)43 222 7777
+41 (0)43 222 7878
FIFA.com

REGULATIONS
on the Status and Transfer
of Players

2Contents
ArticlePage
Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players

4

Definitions5

I. 	Introductory provision
1 Scope7

II. Status of players
2 Status of players: amateur and professional players
3 Reacquisition of amateur status
4 Termination of activity99
9III. Registration of players
5 Registration
6 Registration periods
7 Player passport
8 Application for registration
9 International Transfer Certificate
10 Loan of professionals
11 Unregistered players
12 Enforcement of disciplinary sanctions12bis Overdue payables

10
11
12
12
12
13
13
14
14

IV. Maintenance of contractual stability between professionals and 	
	 clubs
13 Respect of contract
16
14 Terminating a contract with just cause
16
15 Terminating a contract with sporting just cause
16
16 Restriction on terminating a contract during the season
16
17 Consequences of terminating a contract without just cause
17
18 Special provisions relating to contracts between professionals and clubs 19
V. Third-party influence and ownership of players’ economic rights
18bis Third-party influence on clubs
20
18ter Third-party ownership of players’ economic rights
21

Contents
ArticlePage
VI. International transfers involving minors
19 Protection of minors
19bis Registration and reporting of minors at academies

22
24

VII. Training compensation and solidarity mechanism
20 Training compensation
21 Solidarity mechanism

25
25

VIII. Jurisdiction
22 Competence of FIFA
23 Players’ Status Committee
24 Dispute Resolution Chamber
25 Procedural guidelines

26
27
27
28

IX. Final provisions
26 Transitional measures
27 Matters not provided for
28 Official languages
29 Enforcement

30
31
31
31

Annexe 1:
Annexe 2:

Release of players to association teams rocedure governing applications for first registration andPinternational transfer of minors
Annexe 3: Transfer matching systemAnnexe 3a:	Administrative procedure governing the transfer of players
between associations outside TMSAnnexe 4: Training compensation
Annexe 5: Solidarity mechanism
Annexe 6:	Procedure governing claims related to training compensation(article 20) and the solidarity mechanism (article 21)Annexe 7: Rules for the Status and Transfer of Futsal Players

32
42
47
62
66
70
72
78

3

4

Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players
Based on article 5 of the FIFA Statutes, the Executive Committee has issued thefollowing regulations and annexes, which form an integral part of the basictext.

Definitions
For the purpose of these regulations, the terms set out below are defined asfollows:
1.
Former association: the association to which the former club is affiliated.
2.
Former club: the club that the player is leaving.
3.
New association: the association to which the new club is affiliated.
4.
New club: the club that the player is joining.
5.
Official matches: matches played within the framework of organised football,such as national league championships, national cups and international
championships for clubs, but not including friendly and trial matches.
6.
Organised football: association football organised under the auspices of FIFA,
the confederations and the associations, or authorised by them.
7.
Protected period: a period of three entire seasons or three years, whichevercomes first, following the entry into force of a contract, where such contract
is concluded prior to the 28th birthday of the professional, or two entire
seasons or two years, whichever comes first, following the entry into force
of a contract, where such contract is concluded after the 28th birthday of theprofessional.
8.
Registration period: a period fixed by the relevant association in accordancewith article 6.
9.
Season: the period starting with the first official match of the relevant national
league championship and ending with the last official match of the relevant
national league championship.

5

6

Definitions
10.
Training compensation: the payments made in accordance with Annexe 4 tocover the development of young players.
11.
Minor: a player who has not yet reached the age of 18.
12.
Academy: an organisation or an independent legal entity whose primary,long-term objective is to provide players with long-term training throughthe provision of the necessary training facilities and infrastructure. This shallprimarily include, but not be limited to, football training centres, footballcamps, football schools, etc.
13.
Transfer matching system (TMS): a web-based data information systemwith the primary objective of simplifying the process of international playertransfers as well as improving transparency and the flow of information.
14.
Third party: a party other than the two clubs transferring a player from one tothe other, or any previous club, with which the player has been registered.
15.
Eleven-a-side football: football played in accordance with the Laws of theGame as authorised by the International Football Association Board.
16.
Futsal: football played in accordance with the Futsal Laws of the Game thathave been drawn up by FIFA in collaboration with the Sub-Committee of theInternational Football Association Board.

Reference is also made to the Definitions section in the FIFA Statutes.

NB: Terms referring to natural persons are applicable to both genders. Any
term in the singular applies to the plural and vice-versa.

I. Introductory provision

1

Scope

1.
These regulations lay down global and binding rules concerning the status ofplayers, their eligibility to participate in organised football, and their transfer
between clubs belonging to different associations.
2.
The transfer of players between clubs belonging to the same associationis governed by specific regulations issued by the association concerned inaccordance with article 1 paragraph 3 below, which must be approved by FIFA.
Such regulations shall lay down rules for the settlement of disputes between
clubs and players, in accordance with the principles stipulated in theseregulations. Such regulations should also provide for a system to reward clubs
investing in the training and education of young players.
3.
a) The following provisions are binding at national level and must be included
without modification in the association’s regulations: articles 2-8, 10, 11,12bis, 18, 18bis, 18ter, 19 and 19bis.
b) Each association shall include in its regulations appropriate means toprotect contractual stability, paying due respect to mandatory national law
and collective bargaining agreements. In particular, the following principles
must be considered:– article 13: the principle that contracts must be respected;– article 14: the principle that contracts may be terminated by either party
without consequences where there is just cause;– article 15: the principle that contracts may be terminated by professionals
with sporting just cause;– article 16: the principle that contracts cannot be terminated during thecourse of the season;

7

8

I. Introductory provision– article 17 paragraphs 1 and 2: the principle that in the event oftermination of contract without just cause, compensation shall bepayable and that such compensation may be stipulated in the contract;– article 17 paragraphs 3-5: the principle that in the event of terminationof contract without just cause, sporting sanctions shall be imposed on theparty in breach.
4.
These regulations also govern the release of players to association teams inaccordance with the provisions of Annexe 1. These provisions are binding for
all associations and clubs.

II. Status of players

2

Status of players: amateur and professional players

1.
Players participating in organised football are either amateurs or professionals.
2.
A professional is a player who has a written contract with a club and is paid
more for his footballing activity than the expenses he effectively incurs. Allother players are considered to be amateurs.

3

Reacquisition of amateur status

1.
A player registered as a professional may not re-register as an amateur until atleast 30 days after his last match as a professional.
2.
No compensation is payable upon reacquisition of amateur status. If a player
re-registers as a professional within 30 months of being reinstated as anamateur, his new club shall pay training compensation in accordance witharticle 20.

4

Termination of activity

1.
Professionals who end their careers upon expiry of their contracts and amateurs
who terminate their activity shall remain registered at the association of theirlast club for a period of 30 months.
2.
This period begins on the day the player made his last appearance for the clubin an official match.

910III. Registration of players

5

Registration

1.
A player must be registered at an association to play for a club as either aprofessional or an amateur in accordance with the provisions of article 2. Only
registered players are eligible to participate in organised football. By the actof registering, a player agrees to abide by the statutes and regulations of FIFA,
the confederations and the associations.
2.
A player may only be registered with one club at a time.
3.
Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season.
During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches fortwo clubs. As an exception to this rule, a player moving between two clubs
belonging to associations with overlapping seasons (i.e. start of the season insummer/autumn as opposed to winter/spring) may be eligible to play in official
matches for a third club during the relevant season, provided he has fullycomplied with his contractual obligations towards his previous clubs. Equally,
the provisions relating to the registration periods (article 6) as well as to theminimum length of a contract (article 18 paragraph 2) must be respected.
4.
Under all circumstances, due consideration must be given to the sporting
integrity of the competition. In particular, a player may not play official
matches for more than two clubs competing in the same national
championship or cup during the same season, subject to stricter individualcompetition regulations of member associations.

III. Registration of players

6

Registration periods

1.
Players may only be registered during one of the two annual registration
periods fixed by the relevant association. Associations may fix different
registration periods for their male and female competitions. As an exception
to this rule, a professional whose contract has expired prior to the end ofa registration period may be registered outside that registration period.
Associations are authorised to register such professionals provided due
consideration is given to the sporting integrity of the relevant competition.
Where a contract has been terminated with just cause, FIFA may takeprovisional measures in order to avoid abuse, subject to article 22.
2.
The first registration period shall begin after the completion of the season andshall normally end before the new season starts. This period may not exceed
12 weeks. The second registration period shall normally occur in the middle ofthe season and may not exceed four weeks. The two registration periods forthe season shall be entered into TMS at least 12 months before they come into
force (cf. Annexe 3, article 5.1 paragraph 1). FIFA shall determine the dates forany association that fails to communicate them on time.
3.
Players may only be registered – subject to the exception provided for inarticle 6 paragraph 1 – upon submission of a valid application from the club tothe relevant association during a registration period.
4.
The provisions concerning registration periods do not apply to competitions
in which only amateurs participate. The relevant association shall specify
the periods when players may be registered for such competitions provided
that due consideration is given to the sporting integrity of the relevant
competition.

11

12

III. Registration of players

7

Player passport

The registering association is obliged to provide the club with which theplayer is registered with a player passport containing the relevant details of
the player. The player passport shall indicate the club(s) with which the player
has been registered since the season of his 12th birthday. If a birthday falls
between seasons, the player passport shall indicate the club with which he wasregistered during the season following his birthday.

8

Application for registration

The application for registration of a professional must be submitted together
with a copy of the player’s contract. The relevant decision-making body has
discretion to take account of any contractual amendments or additional
agreements that have not been duly submitted to it.

9International Transfer Certificate

1.
Players registered at one association may only be registered at a newassociation once the latter has received an International Transfer Certificate(hereinafter: ITC) from the former association. The ITC shall be issued free ofcharge without any conditions or time limit. Any provisions to the contrary
shall be null and void. The association issuing the ITC shall lodge a copy with
FIFA. The administrative procedures for issuing the ITC are contained in
Annexe 3, article 8, and Annexe 3a of these regulations.
2.
Associations are forbidden from requesting the issue of an ITC in order toallow a player to participate in trial matches.

III. Registration of players
3.
The new association shall inform the association(s) of the club(s) that trainedand educated the player between the ages of 12 and 23 (cf. article 7) in writingof the registration of the player as a professional after receipt of the ITC.
4.
An ITC is not required for a player under the age of ten years.

10

Loan of professionals

1.
A professional may be loaned to another club on the basis of a writtenagreement between him and the clubs concerned. Any such loan is subject tothe same rules as apply to the transfer of players, including the provisions on
training compensation and the solidarity mechanism.
2.
Subject to article 5 paragraph 3, the minimum loan period shall be the time
between two registration periods.
3.
The club that has accepted a player on a loan basis is not entitled to transfer
him to a third club without the written authorisation of the club that released
the player on loan and the player concerned.

11

Unregistered players

Any player not registered at an association who appears for a club in any
official match shall be considered to have played illegitimately. Without
prejudice to any measure required to rectify the sporting consequences of suchan appearance, sanctions may also be imposed on the player and/or the club.
The right to impose such sanctions lies in principle with the association or theorganiser of the competition concerned.

13

14

III. Registration of players

12

Enforcement of disciplinary sanctions

1.
Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months thathas been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely)
served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association atwhich the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be servedat domestic level. When issuing the ITC, the former association shall notify
the new association via TMS (for players to be registered as professionals) orin writing (for players to be registered as amateurs) of any such disciplinary
sanction that has yet to be (entirely) served.
2.
Any disciplinary sanction of more than four matches or more than threemonths that has not yet been (entirely) served by a player shall be enforced by
the new association that has registered the player only if the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee has extended the disciplinary sanction to have worldwide effect.
Additionally, when issuing the ITC, the former association shall notify the new
association via TMS (for players to be registered as professionals) or in writing(for players to be registered as amateurs) of any such pending disciplinary
sanction.

12bis

Overdue payables

1.
Clubs are required to comply with their financial obligations towards players
and other clubs as per the terms stipulated in the contracts signed with theirprofessional players and in the transfer agreements.
2.
Any club found to have delayed a due payment for more than 30 days
without a prima facie contractual basis may be sanctioned in accordance withparagraph 4 below.
3.
In order for a club to be considered to have overdue payables in the sense of
the present article, the creditor (player or club) must have put the debtor clubIII. Registration of players
in default in writing and have granted a deadline of at least ten days for the
debtor club to comply with its financial obligation(s).
4.
Within the scope of their respective jurisdiction (cf. article 22 in conjunction
with articles 23 and 24), the Players’ Status Committee, the Dispute Resolution
Chamber, the single judge or the DRC judge may impose the following sanctions:a) a warning;b) a reprimand;c) a fine;d) a ban from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally,for one or two entire and consecutive registration periods.
5.
The sanctions provided for in paragraph 4 above may be applied cumulatively.
6.
A repeated offence will be considered as an aggravating circumstance andlead to a more severe penalty.
7.
The execution of the registration ban in accordance with paragraph 4 d) above
may be suspended. By suspending the execution of a registration ban, thedeciding body subjects the sanctioned club to a probationary period ranging
from six months to two years.
8.
If the club benefiting from a suspended registration ban commits anotherinfringement during the probationary period, the suspension is automatically
revoked and the registration ban executed; it is added to the sanction
pronounced for the new infringement.
9.
The terms of the present article are without prejudice to the applicationof further measures in accordance with article 17 in the event of unilateral
termination of the contractual relationship.

15

16

IV. Maintenance of contractual stability between professionals and clubs

13

Respect of contract

A contract between a professional and a club may only be terminated upon
expiry of the term of the contract or by mutual agreement.

14

Terminating a contract with just cause

A contract may be terminated by either party without consequences of any
kind (either payment of compensation or imposition of sporting sanctions)where there is just cause.

15

Terminating a contract with sporting just cause

An established professional who has, in the course of the season, appearedin fewer than ten per cent of the official matches in which his club has been
involved may terminate his contract prematurely on the ground of sporting
just cause. Due consideration shall be given to the player’s circumstances in theappraisal of such cases. The existence of sporting just cause shall be established
on a case-by-case basis. In such a case, sporting sanctions shall not be imposed,though compensation may be payable. A professional may only terminate his
contract on this basis in the 15 days following the last official match of theseason of the club with which he is registered.

16

Restriction on terminating a contract during the season

A contract cannot be unilaterally terminated during the course of a season.

IV. Maintenance of contractual stability between professionals and clubs

17

Consequences of terminating a contract without just cause

The following provisions apply if a contract is terminated without just cause:1.
In all cases, the party in breach shall pay compensation. Subject to theprovisions of article 20 and Annexe 4 in relation to training compensation,and unless otherwise provided for in the contract, compensation for thebreach shall be calculated with due consideration for the law of the country
concerned, the specificity of sport, and any other objective criteria. These
criteria shall include, in particular, the remuneration and other benefits dueto the player under the existing contract and/or the new contract, the timeremaining on the existing contract up to a maximum of five years, the fees andexpenses paid or incurred by the former club (amortised over the term of thecontract) and whether the contractual breach falls within a protected period.
2.
Entitlement to compensation cannot be assigned to a third party. If a
professional is required to pay compensation, the professional and his new
club shall be jointly and severally liable for its payment. The amount may be
stipulated in the contract or agreed between the parties.
3.
In addition to the obligation to pay compensation, sporting sanctions shallalso be imposed on any player found to be in breach of contract during theprotected period. This sanction shall be a four-month restriction on playing in
official matches. In the case of aggravating circumstances, the restriction shalllast six months. These sporting sanctions shall take effect immediately oncethe player has been notified of the relevant decision. The sporting sanctions
shall remain suspended in the period between the last official match of theseason and the first official match of the next season, in both cases including
national cups and international championships for clubs. This suspensionof the sporting sanctions shall, however, not be applicable if the player isan established member of the representative team of the association he iseligible to represent, and the association concerned is participating in the
final competition of an international tournament in the period between thelast match and the first match of the next season. Unilateral breach without
just cause or sporting just cause after the protected period shall not result in
sporting sanctions. Disciplinary measures may, however, be imposed outside

17

18

IV. Maintenance of contractual stability between professionals and clubs
the protected period for failure to give notice of termination within 15 days ofthe last official match of the season (including national cups) of the club withwhich the player is registered. The protected period starts again when, while
renewing the contract, the duration of the previous contract is extended.
4.
In addition to the obligation to pay compensation, sporting sanctions shall be
imposed on any club found to be in breach of contract or found to be inducing
a breach of contract during the protected period. It shall be presumed, unlessestablished to the contrary, that any club signing a professional who has
terminated his contract without just cause has induced that professional tocommit a breach. The club shall be banned from registering any new players,either nationally or internationally, for two entire and consecutive registration
periods. The club shall be able to register new players, either nationally orinternationally, only as of the next registration period following the complete
serving of the relevant sporting sanction. In particular, it may not make use of
the exception and the provisional measures stipulated in article 6 paragraph 1of these regulations in order to register players at an earlier stage.
5.
Any person subject to the FIFA Statutes and regulations who acts in a mannerdesigned to induce a breach of contract between a professional and a club inorder to facilitate the transfer of the player shall be sanctioned.

IV. Maintenance of contractual stability between professionals and clubs

18

Special provisions relating to contracts between
professionals and clubs

1.
If an intermediary is involved in the negotiation of a contract, he shall be
named in that contract.
2.
The minimum length of a contract shall be from its effective date until theend of the season, while the maximum length of a contract shall be five years.
Contracts of any other length shall only be permitted if consistent with nationallaws. Players under the age of 18 may not sign a professional contract for aterm longer than three years. Any clause referring to a longer period shall not
be recognised.
3.
A club intending to conclude a contract with a professional must inform theplayer’s current club in writing before entering into negotiations with him. A
professional shall only be free to conclude a contract with another club if his
contract with his present club has expired or is due to expire within six months.
Any breach of this provision shall be subject to appropriate sanctions.
4.
The validity of a contract may not be made subject to a successful medical
examination and/or the grant of a work permit.
5.
If a professional enters into more than one contract covering the same period,
the provisions set forth in Chapter IV shall apply.

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V. Third-party influence and ownership of players’ economic rights

18bis

Third-party influence on clubs

1.
No club shall enter into a contract which enables the counter club/counterclubs, and vice versa, or any third party to acquire the ability to influence in
employment and transfer-related matters its independence, its policies or the
performance of its teams.
2.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose disciplinary measures on clubsthat do not observe the obligations set out in this article.

V. Third-party influence and ownership of players’ economic rights

18ter

Third-party ownership of players’ economic rights

1.
No club or player shall enter into an agreement with a third party wherebya third party is being entitled to participate, either in full or in part, incompensation payable in relation to the future transfer of a player from one
club to another, or is being assigned any rights in relation to a future transfer
or transfer compensation.
2.
The interdiction as per paragraph 1 comes into force on 1 May 2015.
3.
Agreements covered by paragraph 1 which predate 1 May 2015 may continue
to be in place until their contractual expiration. However, their duration may
not be extended.
4.
The validity of any agreement covered by paragraph 1 signed between one
January 2015 and 30 April 2015 may not have a contractual duration of
more than one year beyond the effective date.
5.
By the end of April 2015, all existing agreements covered by paragraph 1
need to be recorded within the Transfer Matching System (TMS). All clubs thathave signed such agreements are required to upload them in their entirety,
including possible annexes or amendments, in TMS, specifying the details of
the third party concerned, the full name of the player as well as the durationof the agreement.
6.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose disciplinary measures on clubs orplayers that do not observe the obligations set out in this article.

21

22

VI. International transfers involving minors

19

Protection of minors

1.
International transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over theage of 18.
2.
The following three exceptions to this rule apply:a) The player’s parents move to the country in which the new club is locatedfor reasons not linked to football.
b) The transfer takes place within the territory of the European Union (EU) or
European Economic Area (EEA) and the player is aged between 16 and 18.
In this case, the new club must fulfil the following minimum obligations:i.	It shall provide the player with an adequate football education and/or
training in line with the highest national standards.
ii.	It shall guarantee the player an academic and/or school and/or
vocational education and/or training, in addition to his football
education and/or training, which will allow the player to pursue a careerother than football should he cease playing professional football.
iii. It shall make all necessary arrangements to ensure that the player islooked after in the best possible way (optimum living standards with ahost family or in club accommodation, appointment of a mentor at theclub, etc.).
iv. It shall, on registration of such a player, provide the relevant association
with proof that it is complying with the aforementioned obligations.

VI. International transfers involving minorsc) The player lives no further than 50km from a national border and theclub with which the player wishes to be registered in the neighbouringassociation is also within 50km of that border. The maximum distance
between the player’s domicile and the club’s headquarters shall be 100km.
In such cases, the player must continue to live at home and the two
associations concerned must give their explicit consent.
3.
The conditions of this article shall also apply to any player who has neverpreviously been registered with a club, is not a national of the country inwhich he wishes to be registered for the first time and has not lived
continuously for at least the last five years in said country.
4.
Every international transfer according to paragraph 2 and every firstregistration according to paragraph 3, as well as every first registration of aforeign minor player who has lived continuously for at least the last five years
in the country in which he wishes to be registered, is subject to the approvalof the subcommittee appointed by the Players’ Status Committee for that
purpose. The application for approval shall be submitted by the associationthat wishes to register the player. The former association shall be given theopportunity to submit its position. The sub-committee’s approval shall beobtained prior to any request from an association for an International Transfer
Certificate and/ or a first registration. Any violations of this provision will
be sanctioned by the Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the FIFA
Disciplinary Code. In addition to the association that failed to apply to thesub-committee, sanctions may also be imposed on the former association for
issuing an International Transfer Certificate without the approval of the subcommittee, as well as on the clubs that reached an agreement for the transfer
of a minor.
5.
The procedures for applying to the sub-committee for a first registration
and an international transfer of a minor are contained in Annexe 2 of theseregulations.

23

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VI. International transfers involving minors

19bis	Registration and reporting of minors
at academies

1.
Clubs that operate an academy with legal, financial or de facto links to the clubare obliged to report all minors who attend the academy to the association
upon whose territory the academy operates.
2.
Each association is obliged to ensure that all academies without legal, financial
or de facto links to a club:a) run a club that participates in the relevant national championships; allplayers shall be reported to the association upon whose territory theacademy operates, or registered with the club itself; orb) report all minors who attend the academy for the purpose of training to
the association upon whose territory the academy operates.
3.
Each association shall keep a register comprising the names and dates of birthof the minors who have been reported to it by the clubs or academies.
4.
Through the act of reporting, academies and players undertake to practisefootball in accordance with the FIFA Statutes, and to respect and promote theethical principles of organised football.
5.
Any violations of this provision will be sanctioned by the Disciplinary
Committee in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
6.
Article 19 shall also apply to the reporting of all minor players who are notnationals of the country in which they wish to be reported.

VII. Training compensation and solidarity mechanism

20

Training compensation

Training compensation shall be paid to a player’s training club(s): (1) when aplayer signs his first contract as a professional, and (2) each time a professional
is transferred until the end of the season of his 23rd birthday. The obligation
to pay training compensation arises whether the transfer takes place during
or at the end of the player’s contract. The provisions concerning training
compensation are set out in Annexe 4 of these regulations. The principles oftraining compensation shall not apply to women’s football.

21

Solidarity mechanism

If a professional is transferred before the expiry of his contract, any club thathas contributed to his education and training shall receive a proportion of thecompensation paid to his former club (solidarity contribution). The provisions
concerning solidarity contributions are set out in Annexe 5 of these regulations.

25

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VIII. Jurisdiction

22

Competence of FIFA

Without prejudice to the right of any player or club to seek redress before acivil court for employment-related disputes, FIFA is competent to hear:a) disputes between clubs and players in relation to the maintenance ofcontractual stability (articles 13-18) where there has been an ITC request anda claim from an interested party in relation to said ITC request, in particularregarding the issue of the ITC, sporting sanctions or compensation forbreach of contract;b) employment-related disputes between a club and a player of aninternational dimension; the aforementioned parties may, however,
explicitly opt in writing for such disputes to be decided by an independent
arbitration tribunal that has been established at national level within theframework of the association and/or a collective bargaining agreement.
Any such arbitration clause must be included either directly in the contract
or in a collective bargaining agreement applicable on the parties. The
independent national arbitration tribunal must guarantee fair proceedings
and respect the principle of equal representation of players and clubs;c) employment-related disputes between a club or an association and a coachof an international dimension, unless an independent arbitration tribunal
guaranteeing fair proceedings exists at national level;d) disputes relating to training compensation (article 20) and the solidarity
mechanism (article 21) between clubs belonging to different associations;e) disputes relating to the solidarity mechanism (article 21) between clubs
belonging to the same association provided that the transfer of a player
at the basis of the dispute occurs between clubs belonging to different
associations;f) disputes between clubs belonging to different associations that do not fallwithin the cases provided for in a), d) and e).

VIII. Jurisdiction

23

Players’ Status Committee

1.
The Players’ Status Committee shall adjudicate on any of the cases describedunder article 22 c) and f) as well as on all other disputes arising from theapplication of these regulations, subject to article 24.
2.
The Players’ Status Committee has no jurisdiction to hear any contractual
dispute involving intermediaries.
3.
In case of uncertainty as to the jurisdiction of the Players’ Status Committeeor the Dispute Resolution Chamber, the chairman of the Players’ Status
Committee shall decide which body has jurisdiction.
4.
The Players’ Status Committee shall adjudicate in the presence of at least threemembers, including the chairman or the deputy chairman, unless the case is ofsuch a nature that it may be settled by a single judge. In cases that are urgent
or raise no difficult factual or legal issues, and for decisions on the provisional
registration of a player in relation to international clearance in accordancewith Annexe 3, article 8, and Annexe 3a, the chairman or a person appointed
by him, who must be a member of the committee, may adjudicate as a single
judge. Each party shall be heard once during the proceedings. Decisions
reached by the single judge or the Players’ Status Committee may be appealed
before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

24

Dispute Resolution Chamber

1.
The Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) shall adjudicate on any of the cases
described under article 22 a), b), d) and e) with the exception of disputes
concerning the issue of an ITC.
2.
The DRC shall adjudicate in the presence of at least three members, including
the chairman or the deputy chairman, unless the case is of a nature that may

27

28

VIII. Jurisdiction
be settled by a DRC judge. The members of the DRC shall designate a DRC
judge for the clubs and one for the players from among its members. The DRC
judge may adjudicate in the following cases:i. all disputes up to a litigious value of CHF 100,000;
ii.	disputes relating to training compensation without complex factualor legal issues, or in which the DRC already has a clear, establishedjurisprudence;iii.	disputes relating to solidarity contributions without complex factualor legal issues, or in which the DRC already has a clear, establishedjurisprudence.
Disputes as per points ii. and iii. of this paragraph may also be adjudicated by
the chairman or the deputy chairman as single judges.
The DRC judge, as well as the chairman or deputy chairman of the DRC (asthe case may be), is obliged to refer cases concerning fundamental issues tothe chamber. The chamber shall consist of equal numbers of club and player
representatives, except in those cases that may be settled by a DRC judge. Eachparty shall be heard once during the proceedings. Decisions reached by the
DRC or the DRC judge may be appealed before the Court of Arbitration forSport (CAS).
3.
Training compensation and solidarity mechanism claims handled through TMS(cf. Annexe 6) shall be decided by the sub-committee of the DRC.

25

Procedural guidelines

1.
As a rule, the single judge and the DRC judge shall adjudicate within 30 daysof receipt of a valid request and the Players’ Status Committee or the Dispute
Resolution Chamber shall adjudicate within 60 days. The proceedings shallbe governed by the Rules Governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status
Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber.

VIII. Jurisdiction
2.
The maximum cost of proceedings before the Players’ Status Committee,
including the single judge, as well as before the DRC, including the DRC judge,
in relation to disputes regarding training compensation and the solidarity
mechanism shall be set at CHF 25,000 and shall normally be paid by theunsuccessful party. The allocation of costs shall be explained in the decision.
Proceedings before the DRC and the DRC judge relating to disputes between
clubs and players in relation to the maintenance of contractual stability as
well as employment-related disputes between a club and a player of aninternational dimension are free of charge.
3.
Disciplinary proceedings for violation of these regulations shall, unlessotherwise stipulated herein, be in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
4.
If there is reason to believe that a case raises a disciplinary issue, the Players’
Status Committee, the Dispute Resolution Chamber, the single judge or the DRC
judge (as the case may be) shall submit the file to the Disciplinary Committee
together with a request for the commencement of disciplinary proceedings inaccordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
5.
The Players’ Status Committee, the Dispute Resolution Chamber, the single
judge or the DRC judge (as the case may be) shall not hear any case subject tothese regulations if more than two years have elapsed since the event giving
rise to the dispute. Application of this time limit shall be examined ex officio in
each individual case.
6.
The Players’ Status Committee, the Dispute Resolution Chamber, the single
judge or the DRC judge (as the case may be) shall, when taking their decisions,apply these regulations whilst taking into account all relevant arrangements,
laws and/or collective bargaining agreements that exist at national level, as wellas the specificity of sport.
7.
The detailed procedure for the resolution of disputes arising from theapplication of these regulations shall be further outlined in the Rules Governing
the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution
Chamber.

29

30

IX. Final provisions

26

Transitional measures1.
Any case that has been brought to FIFA before these regulations come into
force shall be assessed according to the previous regulations.
2.
As a general rule, all other cases shall be assessed according to theseregulations with the exception of the following:a) disputes regarding training compensation;b) disputes regarding the solidarity mechanism;c) labour disputes relating to contracts signed before 1 September 2001.
Any cases not subject to this general rule shall be assessed according to theregulations that were in force when the contract at the centre of the dispute
was signed, or when the disputed facts arose.
3.
Member associations shall amend their regulations in accordance with article 1
to ensure that they comply with these regulations and shall submit them toFIFA for approval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each member association
shall implement article 1 paragraph 3 a).

IX. Final provisions

27

Matters not provided forAny matters not provided for in these regulations and cases of force majeure
shall be decided by the FIFA Executive Committee, whose decisions are final.

28

Official languages

In the case of any discrepancy in the interpretation of the English, French,
Spanish or German texts of these regulations, the English text shall beauthoritative.

29

Enforcement

These regulations were approved by the FIFA Council on 27 October 2017 andcome into force on 1 January 2018.

Zurich, 27 October 2017

For the FIFA Council

President:
Gianni Infantino

Secretary General:
Fatma Samoura

31

32

Annexe 1
Release of players to association teams

1

Principles for men’s football1.
Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the representative
teams of the country for which the player is eligible to play on the basis of his
nationality if they are called up by the association concerned. Any agreement
between a player and a club to the contrary is prohibited.
2.
The release of players under the terms of paragraph 1 of this article ismandatory for all international windows listed in the international match
calendar (cf. paragraphs 3 and 4 below) as well as for the final competitionsof the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Confederations Cup and the championships
for “A” representative teams of the confederations, subject to the relevant
association being a member of the organising confederation.
3.
After consultation with the relevant stakeholders, FIFA publishes theinternational match calendar for the period of four or eight years. It will
include all international windows for the relevant period (cf. paragraph 4
below). Following the publication of the international match calendar only the
final competitions of the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Confederations Cup andthe championships for “A” representative teams of the confederations will be
added.
4.
An international window is defined as a period of nine days starting on a
Monday morning and ending on Tuesday night the following week, whichis reserved for representative teams’ activities. During any international
window a maximum of two matches may be played by each representative
team, irrespective of whether these matches are qualifying matches for
an international tournament or friendlies. The pertinent matches can bescheduled any day as from Wednesday during the international window,
provided that a minimum of two full calendar days are left between two
matches (e.g. Thursday/Sunday or Saturday/Tuesday).

Annexe 1
5.
Representative teams shall play the two matches within an international
window on the territory of the same confederation, with the only exceptionof inter-continental play-off matches. If at least one of the two matches is afriendly, they can be played in two different confederations only if the distance
between the venues does not exceed a total of five flight hours, according tothe official schedule of the airline, and two time-zones.
6.
It is not compulsory to release players outside an international window or
outside the final competitions (as per paragraph 2 above) included in theinternational match calendar. It is not compulsory to release the same player
for more than one “A” representative team final competition per year.
Exceptions to this rule can be established by the FIFA Executive Committee for
the FIFA Confederations Cup only.
7.
For international windows, players must be released and start the travel to join
their representative team no later than Monday morning and must start thetravel back to their club no later than the next Wednesday morning following
the end of the international window. For a final competition in the sense ofparagraphs 2 and 3 above, players must be released and start the travel totheir representative team no later than Monday morning the week preceding
the week when the relevant final competition starts and must be released by
the association in the morning of the day after the last match of their team in
the tournament.
8.
The clubs and associations concerned may agree a longer period of release ordifferent arrangements with regard to paragraph 7 above.
9.
Players complying with a call-up from their association under the terms of thisarticle shall resume duty with their clubs no later than 24 hours after the endof the period for which they had to be released. This period shall be extended
to 48 hours if the representative teams’ activities concerned took place in adifferent confederation to the one in which the player’s club is registered.
Clubs shall be informed in writing of a player’s outbound and return scheduleten days before the start of the release period. Associations shall ensure that
players are able to return to their clubs on time after the match.

33

34

Annexe 1
10.
If a player does not resume duty with his club by the deadline stipulated in thisarticle, at explicit request, the FIFA Players’ Status Committee shall decide thatthe next time the player is called up by his association the period of release shallbe shortened as follows:a) international window: by two daysb) final competition of an international tournament: by five days
11.
Should an association repeatedly breach these provisions, the FIFA Players’
Status Committee may decide:a) to further reduce the period of release;b) to ban the association from calling up a player(s) for subsequent
representative teams’ activities.

1bis

Principles for women’s football1.
Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the representative
teams of the country for which the player is eligible to play on the basis of her
nationality if they are called up by the association concerned. Any agreement
between a player and a club to the contrary is prohibited.
2.
The release of players under the terms of paragraph 1 of this article ismandatory for all international windows listed in the women’s international
match calendar (cf. paragraphs 3 and 4 below) as well as for the final
competitions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, the women’s Olympic Football
Tournament, the championships for women’s “A” representative teams ofthe confederations, subject to the relevant association being a member of theorganising confederation, and the confederations’ final-round qualification
tournaments for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (maximum release
period of 12 days).

Annexe 1
3.
After consultation with the relevant stakeholders, FIFA publishes the women’sinternational match calendar for a period of two or four years. It will include
all international windows for the relevant period (cf. paragraph 4 below).
Following the publication of the women’s international match calendar, only
the final competitions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, the women’s Olympic
Football Tournament, the championships for women’s “A” representative
teams of the confederations and the confederations’ final-round qualification
tournaments for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament will
be added.
4.
There are three types of international windows:a) Type I is defined as a period of nine days starting on a Monday morningand ending on Tuesday night the following week, which is reserved for
representative teams’ activities. During the type I international window,
a maximum of two matches may be played by each representative team,irrespective of whether these matches are qualifying matches for aninternational tournament or friendlies. The pertinent matches can bescheduled on any day as from Wednesday during the international window,
provided that a minimum of two full calendar days are left between two
matches (e.g. Thursday/Sunday or Saturday/Tuesday).
b) Type II is defined as a period of nine days starting on a Monday morningand ending on Tuesday night the following week, which is reserved forthe confederations’ qualifying mini-tournaments of representative teams.
During the type II international window, a maximum of three matches may
be played by each representative team.
c) Type III is defined as a period of ten days starting on a Monday morningand ending on Wednesday night the following week, which is reserved fora friendly tournament of representative teams to be played in February/
March of every calendar year. During the type III international window, amaximum of four matches may be played by each representative team.
5.
It is not compulsory to release players outside an international window or
outside the competitions listed in paragraph 2 above that are included in thewomen’s international match calendar.

35

36

Annexe 1
6.
For all three types of international windows, players must be released and start
the travel to join their representative team no later than Monday morningand must start the travel back to their club no later than the next Wednesday
morning (types I and II) or the next Thursday morning (type III) following
the end of the international window. For the confederations’ final round
qualification tournaments for the women’s Olympic Football Tournament,
players must be released and start the travel to join their representative teamno later than Monday morning before the opening match of the qualification
tournament and must be released by the association in the morning of the day
after the last match of their team in the tournament. For a final competition in
the sense of paragraphs 2 and 3 above, players must be released and start thetravel to their representative team no later than 14 days before the opening
match of the relevant final competition in the morning, and must be releasedby the association in the morning of the day after the last match of their teamin the tournament.
7.
The clubs and associations concerned may agree a longer period of release ordifferent arrangements with regard to paragraph 6 above.
8.
Players complying with a call-up from their association under the terms of thisarticle shall resume duty with their clubs no later than 24 hours after the endof the period for which they had to be released. This period shall be extended
to 48 hours if the representative teams’ activities concerned took place in adifferent confederation to the one in which the player’s club is registered.
Clubs shall be informed in writing of a player’s outbound and return scheduleten days before the start of the release period. Associations shall ensure that
players are able to return to their clubs on time after the match.
9.
If a player does not resume duty with her club by the deadline stipulated inthis article, at explicit request, the FIFA Players’ Status Committee shall decidethat the next time the player is called up by her association the period of
release shall be shortened as follows:a) international window: by two daysb) final competition of an international tournament: by five days

Annexe 1
10.
Should an association repeatedly breach these provisions, the FIFA Players’
Status Committee may impose appropriate sanctions, including but not limitedto:a) fines;b) a reduction of the period of release;c) a ban on calling up a player(s) for subsequent representative teams’
activities.

1ter

Principles for futsal

1.
Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the representative
teams of the country for which the player is eligible to play on the basis of his
nationality if they are called up by the association concerned. Any agreement
between a player and a club to the contrary is prohibited.
2.
The release of players under the terms of paragraph 1 of this article ismandatory for all international windows listed in the futsal international
match calendar (cf. paragraphs 3 and 4 below) as well as for the final
competitions of the FIFA Futsal World Cup and of the championships for “A”
representative teams of the confederations, subject to the relevant association
being a member of the organising confederation.
3.
After consultation with the relevant stakeholders, FIFA publishes the futsal
international match calendar for the period of five years. It will include
all international windows for the relevant period (cf. paragraph 4 below).
Following the publication of the futsal international match calendar, only the
final competitions of the FIFA Futsal World Cup and of the championships for“A” representative teams of the confederations will be added.
4.
There are two types of international windows:

37

38

Annexe 1a) Type I is defined as a period of ten days starting on a Monday morningand ending on Wednesday night the following week, which is reserved
for representative teams’ activities. During a Type I international window,
a maximum of four matches may be played by each representative team,irrespective of whether these matches are qualifying matches for aninternational tournament or friendlies. Representative teams can play the
maximum of four matches within an international window of Type I in no
more than two confederations.
b) Type II is defined as a period of four days starting on a Sunday morningand ending on Wednesday night the following week, which is reserved
for representative teams’ activities. During a Type II international window,
a maximum of two matches may be played by each representative team,irrespective of whether these matches are qualifying matches for aninternational tournament or friendlies. Representative teams shall play the
maximum of two matches within an international window of Type II on the
territory of the same confederation.
5.
It is not compulsory to release players outside an international window or
outside the final competitions as per paragraph 2 above included in the futsal
international match calendar.
6.
For both types of international windows, players must be released and start
the travel to join their representative team no later than the first morning of
the window (i.e. Sunday or Monday, respectively), and must start the travelback to their club no later than the Thursday morning following the end of
the international window. For a final competition of the championships for“A” representative teams of the confederations, players must be released andstart the travel to their representative team in the morning 12 days before therelevant final competition starts and must be released by the association in themorning of the day after the last match of their team in the tournament. For
the FIFA Futsal World Cup, players must be released and start the travel to theirrepresentative team in the morning 14 days before the World Cup starts andmust be released by the association in the morning of the day after the lastmatch of their team in the tournament.
7.
The clubs and associations concerned may agree a longer period of release ordifferent arrangements with regard to paragraph 6 above.

Annexe 18.
Players complying with a call-up from their association under the terms of thisarticle shall resume duty with their clubs no later than 24 hours after the endof the period for which they had to be released. This period shall be extended
to 48 hours if the representative teams’ activities concerned took place in adifferent confederation to the one in which the player’s club is registered.
Clubs shall be informed in writing of a player’s outbound and return scheduleten days before the start of the release period. Associations shall ensure that
players are able to return to their clubs on time after the match.
9.
If a player does not resume duty with his club by the deadline stipulated in thisarticle, at explicit request, the FIFA Players’ Status Committee shall decide thatthe next time the player is called up by his association the period of release
shall be shortened as follows:a) international windows: by two daysb) final competition of an international tournament: by five days
10.
Should an association repeatedly breach these provisions, the FIFA Players’ Status
Committee may impose appropriate sanctions, including but not limited to:a) fines;b) a reduction of the period of release;c) a ban on calling up a player(s) for subsequent representative teams’
activities.

2

Financial provisions and insurance

1.
Clubs releasing a player in accordance with the provisions of this annexe are
not entitled to financial compensation.
2.
The association calling up a player shall bear the costs of travel incurred by theplayer as a result of the call-up.

39

40

Annexe 1
3.
The club with which the player concerned is registered shall be responsible
for his insurance cover against illness and accident during the entire period of
his release. This cover must also extend to any injuries sustained by the player
during the international match(es) for which he was released.
4.
If a professional player participating in eleven-a-side football suffers during
the period of his release for an international “A” match a bodily injury
caused by an accident and is, as a consequence of such an injury, temporary
totally disabled, the club with which the player concerned is registered will
be indemnified by FIFA. The terms and conditions of the indemnification,
including the loss-handling procedures, are set forth in the Technical Bulletin –Club Protection Programme.

3

Calling up players

1.
As a general rule, every player registered with a club is obliged to respondaffirmatively when called up by the association he is eligible to represent on
the basis of his nationality to play for one of its representative teams.
2.
Associations wishing to call up a player must notify the player in writing atleast 15 days before the first day of the international window (cf. Annexe 1,
article 1 paragraph 4) in which the representative teams’ activities for which
he is required will take place. Associations wishing to call up a player for the
final competition of an international tournament must notify the player inwriting at least 15 days before the beginning of the relevant release period.
The player’s club shall also be informed in writing at the same time. Equally,
associations are advised to copy the association of the clubs concerned into thesummons. The club must confirm the release of the player within the following
six days.

Annexe 1
3.
Associations that request FIFA’s help to obtain the release of a player playing
abroad may only do so under the following two conditions:a) The association at which the player is registered has been asked tointervene without success.
b) The case is submitted to FIFA at least five days before the day of the match
for which the player is needed.

4

Injured players

A player who due to injury or illness is unable to comply with a call-up from theassociation that he is eligible to represent on the basis of his nationality shall, if
the association so requires, agree to undergo a medical examination by a doctorof that association’s choice. If the player so wishes, such medical examination
shall take place on the territory of the association at which he is registered.

5

Restrictions on playing

A player who has been called up by his association for one of its representative
teams is, unless otherwise agreed by the relevant association, not entitled toplay for the club with which he is registered during the period for which he has
been released or should have been released pursuant to the provisions of thisannexe, plus an additional period of five days.

6

Disciplinary measures

Violations of any of the provisions set forth in this annexe shall result in theimposition of disciplinary measures to be decided by the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee based on the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

41

42

Annexe 2
Procedure governing applications for first registration andinternational transfer of minors (article 19 paragraph 4)

1

Principles

1.
All applications for a first registration of a minor according to article 19
paragraph 3, or an international transfer involving a minor according toarticle 19 paragraph 2, must be submitted and managed through TMS.
2.
Unless otherwise specified in the provisions below, the Rules Governing theProcedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution
Chamber shall be applied in the application procedure, subject to slightdeviations that may result from the computer-based process.

2

Responsibility of member associations

1.
All member associations shall check the “Minors” tab in TMS at regularintervals of at least every three days and pay particular attention to any
enquiries or requests for statements.
2.
Member associations will be fully responsible for any procedural disadvantages
that may arise due to a failure to respect paragraph 1 above.

Annexe 2

3

Composition of sub-committee

1.
The sub-committee appointed by the Players’ Status Committee shall becomposed of the chairman and deputy chairman of the Players’ Status
Committee and nine members.
2.
In view of the urgent nature of the relevant applications, as a general rule, allmembers of the sub-committee pass decisions as single judges. However, thesub-committee may also pass decisions with three or more members.

4

Conduct during proceedings

1.
All parties involved in proceedings shall act in good faith.
2.
All parties involved in proceedings are obliged to tell the truth to the subcommittee. Sanctions may be imposed on any association or club found tohave provided untrue or false data to the sub-committee or for having misused
the TMS application procedure for illegitimate purposes. Any violations, suchas forged documents for example, will be sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
3.
The sub-committee may use all means at its disposal to ensure that theseprinciples of conduct are observed.
4.
The relevant TMS department shall investigate matters in relation to the
obligations of parties under the present annexe. All parties are obliged
to collaborate to establish the facts. In particular, they shall comply, upon
reasonable notice, with requests for any documents, information or any
other material of any nature held by the parties. In addition, the parties shallcomply with the procurement and provision of documents, information or any
other material of any nature not held by the parties but which the parties areentitled to obtain. Non-compliance with these requests from the relevant TMS
department may lead to sanctions imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

43

44

Annexe 2

5Initiation of proceedings, submission of documents

1.
The application for an approval of a first registration (article 19 paragraph 3)
or an international transfer (article 19 paragraph 2) shall be entered in TMS by
the association concerned. Applications under the aforementioned provisions
submitted by any other means will not be considered.
2.
Depending on the details of the case in question, the association that submits
an application shall also mandatorily enter specific documents from thefollowing list in TMS:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Proof of identity and nationality – player
Proof of identity and nationality – player’s parents
Proof of birth date (birth certificate) – player
Employment contract – player
Employment contract – player’s parents/other documents corroborating
the reason invokedWork permit – player
Work permit – player’s parents
Proof of residence – player
Proof of residence of player’s parents
Documentation of academic education
Documentation of football education
Documentation of accommodation/careParental authorisation
Proof of distance: 50km rule
Proof of consent of counterpart association
Request for approval of first registration/international transfer

3.
If an obligatory document is not submitted, or if a translation or an official
confirmation is not submitted in accordance with article 7 below, the applicant
will be notified accordingly in TMS. An application will only be processed if
all obligatory documents have been submitted, or if all necessary translations
and official confirmations have been correctly submitted in accordance witharticle 7 below.

Annexe 2
4.
The applicant may also submit any other documents it deems necessary
together with the application. The sub-committee may request further
documents from the applicant at any time.

6

Statement, non-submission of statement

1.
In the case of a request for approval of an international transfer, the former
association will be given access to all non-confidential documents in TMS andinvited to submit a statement within seven days through TMS.
2.
The former association may also submit any documents it deems relevant
through TMS.
3.
If a statement is not submitted, the sub-committee will decide on the basis of
the documents available.

7

Language of documents

If a document is not available in one of the four official languages of FIFA, theassociation shall also submit either a translation of the document in one of thefour official languages of FIFA, or an official confirmation of the association
concerned that summarises the pertinent facts of each document in one of
the four official languages of FIFA. Failure to do so may, subject to article 5paragraph 3 above, result in the sub-committee disregarding the document inquestion.

45

46

Annexe 2

8

Deadlines

1.
Deadlines shall be set legally through TMS.
2.
All submissions must be entered in TMS by the deadline in the time zone of
the association concerned.

9

Notification of decisions, legal remedy

1.
The association(s) concerned shall be legally notified of the sub-committee’s
decision via TMS. Notification will be deemed complete once the decision has
been uploaded into TMS. Such notification of decisions shall be legally binding.
2.
The association(s) concerned will be notified of the findings of the decision. At
the same time, the association(s) shall be informed that they have ten days fromnotification in which to request, in writing via TMS, the grounds of the decision,and that failure to do so will result in the decision becoming final and binding.
If an association requests the grounds of the decision, the motivated decision
will be notified to the association(s) in full, written form via TMS. The time limit
to lodge an appeal begins upon such notification of the motivated decision.

Annexe 3
Transfer matching system

1

Scope

1.
The transfer matching system (TMS; cf. point 13 of the Definitions section) is
designed to ensure that football authorities have more details available tothem on international player transfers. This will increase the transparency of
individual transactions, which will in turn improve the credibility and standingof the entire transfer system.
2.
TMS is designed to clearly distinguish between the different payments inrelation to international player transfers. All such payments must be entered in
the system as this is the only way to be transparent about tracking the money
being moved around in relation to these transfers. At the same time, thesystem will require associations to ensure that it is indeed a real player who is
being transferred and not a fictitious player being used for illicit activities suchas money-laundering.
3.
TMS helps safeguard the protection of minors. If a minor is being registeredas a non-national for the first time or is involved in an international transfer,an approval must be given by a sub-committee appointed by the Players’
Status Committee for that purpose (cf. article 19 paragraph 4). The request for
approval by the association that wishes to register the minor on the basis ofarticle 19 paragraphs 2 and 3 and the subsequent decision-making workflow
must be conducted through TMS (cf. Annexe 2).
4.
Within the scope of the present annexe (cf. specifically, article 1 paragraph 5),
TMS is the means by which ITCs are requested and delivered.
5.
The use of TMS is a mandatory step for all international transfers of professional
male and female players within the scope of eleven-a-side football, and any
registration of such a player without the use of TMS will be deemed invalid.
In the following articles of the present annexe, the term “player” will referto male and female players participating in eleven-a-side football. The term
“international transfer” will exclusively refer to the transfer of such players
between associations.

47

48

Annexe 3
6.
An international transfer needs to be entered in TMS whenever a player
is to be registered as a professional (cf. article 2 paragraph 2) by the new
association.

2

System1.
TMS provides associations and clubs with a web-based data information systemdesigned to administer and monitor international transfers.
2.
Depending on the type of instruction, a variety of information must be entered.
3.
In case of an international transfer where no transfer agreement exists, the
new club must submit specific information and upload certain documents
relating to the transfer into TMS. The process is then moved to the associations
for electronic ITC handling (cf. section 8 below).
4.
In case of an international transfer where a transfer agreement exists, bothclubs involved must, independently of each other, submit information and,
where applicable, upload certain documents relating to the transfer into TMS
as soon as the agreement has been formed.
5.
In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph of this article, the process isonly moved to the associations for electronic ITC handling (cf. section 8 below)
once club-level agreement has been reached.

Annexe 3

3

Users

1.
All users shall act in good faith.
2.
All users shall check TMS at regular intervals on a daily basis and pay particularattention to any enquiries or requests for statements.
3.
Users are responsible for ensuring that they have all the necessary equipment
to fulfil their obligations.
3.1 Clubs
1.
Clubs are responsible for entering and confirming transfer instructions in TMS
and, where applicable, for ensuring that the required information matches.
This also includes uploading the required documents.
2.
Clubs are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary training andknow-how in order to fulfil their obligations. In this regard, clubs shall appoint
TMS managers who are trained to operate TMS, and shall be responsible
for the training of a replacement TMS manager if required, so that clubs areat all times in a position to fulfil their obligations in TMS. The relevant TMS
department and the relevant hotline may assist them in this respect with alltechnical-related issues, if need be. Furthermore, article 5.3 of this annexe
applies in connection with this matter.
3.2 Associations
1.
Associations are responsible for maintaining their season and registration
details, if applicable for male and female players separately, as well as thoseof their clubs (including, in particular, the categorisation of clubs in connection
with training compensation). In addition, they are responsible for conducting
the electronic ITC process (cf. section 8 below) and, where applicable, forconfirming players deregistering from their association.
2.
Associations are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary
training and know-how in order to fulfil their obligations. In this regard, each

49

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Annexe 3
association shall appoint a TMS manager and, at least, one additional user who
are trained to operate TMS. Associations shall be responsible for the training ofa replacement TMS manager if required, so that associations are at all times ina position to fulfil their obligations in TMS. The relevant TMS department andthe relevant hotline may assist them in this respect with all technical-related
issues, if need be.
3.3 FIFA general secretariat
The various competent departments within the FIFA general secretariat are
responsible for:a) entering relevant sporting sanctions and managing possible objections toregulation infringements;b) entering relevant disciplinary sanctions;c) entering association suspensions.
3.4 Confidentiality and access
1.
Associations and clubs will keep all data obtained based on the access to TMS
strictly confidential and take all reasonable measures and apply the highest
degree of care in order to guarantee at all times complete confidentiality.
Furthermore, associations and clubs will use the confidential information
exclusively for the purpose of accomplishing player transactions in which they
are directly involved.
2.
Associations and clubs will ensure that only authorised users have access to
TMS. Furthermore, associations and clubs will select, instruct and control theauthorised users with the highest possible care.

Annexe 3

4Obligations of clubs

1.
In view of the communication with parties as established in art. 9bis of theRules Governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the
Dispute Resolution Chamber, clubs must ensure that their contact details,
i.e. address, telephone and e-mail address, are valid and kept up to date at
all times.
2.
Clubs must use TMS for international transfers of players.
3.
Clubs must provide the following compulsory data when creating instructions,as applicable:– Instruction type (Engage player or Release player)– Indication of whether the transfer is on a permanent basis or on loan
– Indication of whether there is a transfer agreement with the former club– Indication of whether the transfer relates to an exchange of players– If related to an earlier loan instruction, indication of whether:• it is a return from loan; or• it is a loan extension; or• the loan is being converted into a permanent transfer– Player’s name, nationality(ies) and date of birth– Player’s former club
– Player’s former association– Date of the transfer agreement– Start and end dates of the loan agreement– Club intermediary’s name and commission– Start and end dates of player’s contract with former club
– Reason for termination of player’s contract with former club
– Start and end dates of player’s contract with new club– Player’s fixed remuneration as provided for in player’s contract with new club
– Player intermediary’s name– Indication of whether the transfer is being made against any of the following
payments:• Fixed transfer fee, including details of instalments, if any• Any fee paid in execution of a clause in the player’s contract with his/her
former club providing for compensation for termination of the relevant
contract51

52

Annexe 3• Conditional transfer fee, including details of conditions• Sell-on fees
• Solidarity contribution• Training compensation– Payment currency– Amount(s), payment date(s) and recipient(s) for each of the above listed
types of payments– Own banking details (name of bank or bank code; account number or IBAN;
bank address; account holder)– Declaration on third-party payments and influence– Declaration on third-party ownership of players‘ economic rights
4.
Clubs are also obliged to upload at least the mandatory documents to support
the information that has been entered in TMS (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2
paragraph 1) and provide confirmation of the relevant instruction.
5.
Equally, where matching exceptions arise, clubs are required to resolve themwith the participation of the other club concerned.
6.
The procedure in relation to the ITC request (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2
paragraph 1) can only be initiated once the club(s) have complied with their
obligations in line with the preceding paragraphs of this article.
7.
Clubs must declare in TMS any payments made. This also applies to payments
made by the player’s new club to the player’s former club on the basis ofcontractual clauses contained in the player’s contract with his/her former cluband despite no transfer agreement having been concluded. When declaring
the execution of a payment, the club making the payment must upload
evidence of the money transfer into TMS.

Annexe 3

5Obligations of the associations

Associations must use TMS in connection with international transfers ofplayers.
5.1 Master data
1.
The start and end dates of both registration periods and of the season, if
applicable for male and female players separately, shall be entered in TMS atleast 12 months before they come into force. Under exceptional circumstances,associations may amend or modify their registration period dates up until theycommence. Once the registration period has begun, no alteration of dates
will be possible. The registration periods shall always comply with the terms ofarticle 6 paragraph 2.
2.
Associations shall ensure that club address, telephone, e-mail address andtraining category (cf. Annexe 4, article 4) information is valid and kept up todate at all times.
5.2 Transfer-related information
1.
When entering transfer instructions, clubs shall specify the player involved (cf.
Annexe 3, article 4 paragraph 2). TMS contains the details of many players who
have participated in FIFA tournaments. If the details of the player involved
are not already in TMS, the clubs shall enter them as a part of the transfer
instruction. The procedure in relation to the ITC request (cf. Annexe 3, article
8.2 paragraph 1) may only be initiated once these player details have beenverified, corrected if required and confirmed by the player’s former association.
The former association shall reject the player if the details of his/her identity
cannot be fully confirmed against its own registration records. The verificationof player details shall be done without delay.

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Annexe 32.
The procedure in relation to the ITC request (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2
paragraph 2) shall be carried out by the new association at the appropriate
time.
3.
The procedure in relation to the response to the ITC request and the player
deregistration (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2 paragraphs 3 and 4) shall be carried out
by the former association at the appropriate time.
4.
In case of ITC receipt, the new association is required to enter and confirm theplayer registration date (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2 paragraph 1).
5.
In case of rejection of the ITC request (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2 paragraph 7),
the new association is required to either accept or dispute the rejection, as thecase may be.
6.
In case of provisional registration (cf. Annexe 3, article 8.2 paragraph 6) or incase of authorisation for provisional registration by the single judge after the
new association has disputed the rejection (cf. article 23 paragraph 3), the new
association is required to enter and confirm the registration information.
5.3 Club training
To ensure that all affiliated clubs are able to fulfil their obligations inrelation to this annexe, ongoing training is the responsibility of the relevant
association.

Annexe 3

6Role of FIFA general secretariat

1.
Upon request, the relevant department will deal with any validation
exceptions and, if need be, refer the matter to the competent decision-making
body, i.e. the Players’ Status Committee, its single judge, or the DRC or a DRC
judge, as the case may be, for a decision, except for the so-called “player
confirmation”, which needs to be dealt with by the association concerned(cf. Annexe 3, article 5.2 paragraph 1).
2.
Upon request, the relevant department will deal with any validation warnings
and, if need be, refer the matter to the competent decision-making body for adecision.
3.
Within the scope of proceedings pertaining to the application of theseregulations, FIFA may use any documentation or evidence generated by orcontained in TMS or obtained by the relevant TMS department on the basisof their investigation powers (cf. Annexe 3, article 7 paragraph 4) in order toproperly assess the issue at stake.
4.
Sporting sanctions of relevance for TMS will be entered in TMS by thecompetent department.
5.
Disciplinary sanctions of relevance for TMS will be entered in TMS by thecompetent department.
6.
Association sanctions of relevance for TMS will be entered in TMS by thecompetent department.

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Annexe 3

7

Role of FIFA TMS GmbH

1.
FIFA is responsible for ensuring the availability of and access to the system. FIFAand the relevant TMS department is additionally responsible for managing
user access and defining criteria to be an authorised user.
2.
To ensure that all associations are able to fulfil their obligations in relation
to this annexe, ongoing training and support of member associations is the
responsibility of the relevant TMS department.
3.
To ensure that the clubs and associations are fulfilling their obligations in
respect to this annexe, the relevant TMS department shall investigate mattersin relation to international transfers. All parties are obliged to collaborate toestablish the facts. In particular, they shall comply, upon reasonable notice, withrequests for any documents, information or any other material of any nature
held by the parties. In addition, the parties shall comply with the procurement
and provision of documents, information or any other material of any nature
not held by the parties but which the parties are entitled to obtain. Noncompliance with these requests from the relevant TMS department may lead tosanctions imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

8Administrative procedure governing the transfer ofprofessionals between associations

8.1 Principles
1.
Any professional player who is registered with a club that is affiliated to
one association may only be registered with a club affiliated to a different
association after an ITC has been delivered by the former association and the
new association has confirmed receipt of the ITC. The ITC procedure must be
conducted exclusively via TMS. Any form of ITC other than the one created by
TMS shall not be recognised.

Annexe 3
2.
At the very latest, the ITC must be requested by the new association in TMS on
the last day of the registration period of the new association.
3.
The former association must upload a copy of the player passport (cf. article 7)
when creating an ITC in favour of the new association.
4.
The former association must upload a copy of any relevant documentation
pertaining to disciplinary sanctions imposed on a player and, if applicable,
their extension to have worldwide effect (cf. article 12) when creating an ITC in
favour of the new association.
8.2 Creating an ITC for a professional player
1.
All data allowing the new association to request an ITC shall be entered into
TMS, confirmed and matched by the club wishing to register a player during
one of the registration periods established by that association (cf. Annexe 3,
article 4 paragraph 4). When entering the relevant data, depending on theselected instruction type, the new club shall upload at least the following
documents into TMS:
– a copy of the contract between the new club and the professional player;– a copy of the transfer or loan agreement concluded between the new cluband the former club, if applicable;– copy of proof of the player’s identity, nationality(ies) and birth date, such as
passport or identity card;– proof of player’s last contract end date and reason for termination.
– proof signed by the player and his/her former club that there is no third-party
ownership of the player’s economic rights;
Where third-party ownership of players’ economic rights has been declared(cf. Annexe 3, article 4 paragraph 2), the former club shall upload a copy of therelevant agreement with the third party.
Documents must be uploaded in the format required by the relevant TMS
department.
If explicitly requested, a document not available in one of the four official
languages of FIFA (English, French, German and Spanish), or a specifically

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Annexe 3
defined excerpt of it, must be uploaded in TMS together with its respective
translation in one of the four official languages. Failure to do so may result in
the document in question being disregarded.
A professional player is not eligible to play in official matches for his/her new
club until the new association has confirmed the receipt of the ITC and hasentered and confirmed the player registration date in TMS (cf. Annexe 3,
article 5.2 paragraph 4).
2.
Upon notification in the system that the transfer instruction is awaiting an ITC
request, the new association shall immediately request the former association
through TMS to deliver an ITC for the professional player (“ITC request”).
3.
Upon receipt of the ITC request, the former association shall immediately
request the former club and the professional player to confirm whether the
professional player’s contract has expired, whether early termination was
mutually agreed or whether there is a contractual dispute.
4.
Within seven days of the date of the ITC request, the former association shall,by using the appropriate selection in TMS, either:a) deliver the ITC in favour of the new association and enter the deregistration
date of the player; orb) reject the ITC request and indicate in TMS the reason for rejection,
which may be either that the contract between the former club and theprofessional player has not expired or that there has been no mutual
agreement regarding its early termination.
5.
Once the ITC has been delivered, the new association shall confirm receipt andcomplete the relevant player registration information in TMS.
6.
If the new association does not receive a response to the ITC request within
15 days of the ITC request being made, it shall immediately register theAnnexe 3
professional player with the new club on a provisional basis (“provisional
registration”). The new association shall complete the relevant player
registration information in TMS (cf. Annexe 3, article 5.2 paragraph 6).
A provisional registration shall become permanent one year after the
ITC request. The Players’ Status Committee may withdraw a provisional
registration, if, during this one-year period, the former association presents
valid reasons explaining why it did not respond to the ITC request.
7.
The former association shall not deliver an ITC if a contractual dispute on
grounds of the circumstances stipulated in Annexe 3, article 8.2 paragraph 4 b)
has arisen between the former club and the professional player. In such a case,upon request of the new association, FIFA may take provisional measures in
exceptional circumstances. If the competent body authorises the provisional
registration (cf. article 23 paragraph 3), the new association shall complete
the relevant player registration information in TMS (cf. Annexe 3, article 5.2
paragraph 6). Furthermore, the professional player, the former club and/or the
new club are entitled to lodge a claim with FIFA in accordance with article 22.
FIFA shall then decide on the issue of the ITC and on sporting sanctions within
60 days. In any case, the decision on sporting sanctions shall be taken before
the delivery of the ITC. The delivery of the ITC shall be without prejudice tocompensation for breach of contract.
8.3 Loan of professional players
1.
The rules set out above also apply to the loan of a professional player from aclub affiliated to one association to a club affiliated to another association, as
well as to his/her return from loan to his/her original club, if applicable.
2.
When applying for the registration of a professional player on a loan basis, the
new club shall upload a copy of the pertinent loan agreement concluded withthe former club, and possibly also signed by the player, into TMS (cf. Annexe 3,
article 8.2 paragraph 1). The terms of the loan agreement shall be represented
in TMS.
3.
Loan extensions and permanent transfers resulting from loans shall also beentered in TMS at the appropriate time.

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Annexe 39Sanctions

9.1 General provision1.
Sanctions may be imposed on any association or club that violates any of theprovisions of the present annexe.
2.
Sanctions may also be imposed on any association or club found to have entereduntrue or false data into the system or for having misused TMS for illegitimate
purposes.
3.
Associations and clubs are liable for the actions and information entered bytheir TMS managers.
9.2 Competence
1.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is responsible for imposing sanctions inaccordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
2.
Sanction proceedings may be initiated by FIFA, either on its own initiative or at
the request of any party concerned.
3.
The relevant TMS department may also initiate sanction proceedings on its
own initiative for non-compliance with the obligations under its jurisdiction(specifically with respect to the defined Administrative Sanction Procedure(cf. FIFA circular 1478)) and when authorised to so by the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee for explicitly specified violations.

Annexe 3
9.3 Sanctions on associations
In particular, the following sanctions may be imposed on associations forviolation of the present annexe in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code:– a reprimand or a warning;– a fine;– exclusion from a competition;– return of awards.
These sanctions may be imposed separately or in combination.
9.4 Sanctions on clubs
In particular, the following sanctions may be imposed on clubs for violation of
the present annexe in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code:– a reprimand or a warning;– a fine;– annulment of the result of a match;– defeat by forfeit;– exclusion from a competition;– a deduction of points;– demotion to a lower division;– a transfer ban;– return of awards.
These sanctions may be imposed separately or in combination.

10

Time limits

With respect to proceedings and investigations conducted by the relevant
TMS department, electronic notifications through TMS or by electronic mail tothe address provided in TMS by the parties are considered as valid means ofcommunication and will be deemed sufficient to establish time limits.

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Annexe 3a
Administrative procedure governing the transfer of players between
associations outside TMS

1

Scope

The present annexe governs the procedure for the international transfer of allamateur male and female players participating in eleven-a-side football andfutsal players.

2

Principles

1.
Any player who is registered with a club that is affiliated to one association
shall not be eligible to play for a club affiliated to a different association unlessan ITC has been issued by the former association and received by the new
association in accordance with the provisions of this annexe. Special forms
provided by FIFA for this purpose or forms with similar wording shall be used.
2.
At the very latest, the ITC must be requested on the last day of the registration
period of the new association.
3.
The association issuing the ITC shall also attach a copy of the player passport to it.

3Issue of an ITC for a professional

1.
All applications to register a professional must be submitted by the new clubto the new association during one of the registration periods establishedby that association. All applications shall be accompanied by a copy of thecontract between the new club and the professional. Equally, a copy of thetransfer agreement concluded between the new club and the former club shallbe provided to the new association, if applicable. A professional is not eligible
to play in official matches for his new club until an ITC has been issued by theformer association and received by the new association.

Annexe 3a2.
Upon receipt of the application, the new association shall immediately request
the former association to issue an ITC for the professional (“ITC request”). An
association that receives an unsolicited ITC from another association is notentitled to register the professional concerned with one of its clubs.
3.
Upon receipt of the ITC request, the former association shall immediately
request the former club and the professional to confirm whether the
professional’s contract has expired, whether early termination was mutuallyagreed or whether a contractual dispute exists.
4.
Within seven days of receiving the ITC request, the former association shalleither:a) issue the ITC to the new association; orb) inform the new association that the ITC cannot be issued because thecontract between the former club and the professional has not expired orthat there has been no mutual agreement regarding its early termination.
5.
If the new association does not receive a response to the ITC request
within 30 days of the ITC request being made, it shall immediately registerthe professional with the new club on a provisional basis (“provisional
registration”). A provisional registration shall become permanent one
year after the ITC request. The Players’ Status Committee may withdraw
a provisional registration, if, during this one-year period, the former
association presents valid reasons explaining why it did not respond to the
ITC request.
6.
The former association shall not issue an ITC if a contractual dispute has arisen
between the former club and the professional. In such a case, the professional,
the former club and/or the new club are entitled to lodge a claim with FIFAin accordance with article 22. FIFA shall then decide on the issue of the ITC
and on sporting sanctions within 60 days. In any case, the decision on sporting
sanctions shall be taken before the issue of the ITC. The issue of the ITC shallbe without prejudice to compensation for breach of contract. FIFA may takeprovisional measures in exceptional circumstances.

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Annexe 3a7.
The new association may grant a player temporary eligibility to play until theend of the season that is underway on the basis of an ITC sent by fax. If theoriginal ITC is not received by that time, the player’s eligibility to play shall beconsidered definitive.
8.
The foregoing rules and procedures also apply to professionals who, uponmoving to their new club, acquire amateur status.

4

Issue of an ITC for an amateur

1.
All applications to register an amateur player must be submitted by the new
club to the new association during one of the registration periods establishedby that association.
2.
Upon receipt of the application, the new association shall immediately request
the former association to issue an ITC for the player (“ITC request”).
3.
The former association shall, within seven days of receiving the ITC request,
issue the ITC to the new association.
4.
If the new association does not receive a response to the ITC request within
30 days, it shall immediately register the amateur with the new club on
a provisional basis (“provisional registration”). A provisional registration
shall become permanent one year after the ITC request. The Players’ Status
Committee may withdraw a provisional registration, if, during this one-year
period, the former association presents valid reasons explaining why it did not
respond to the ITC request.
5.
The foregoing rules and procedures also apply for amateurs who, uponmoving to their new club, acquire professional status.

Annexe 3a5Loan of players

1.
The rules set out above also apply to the loan of a professional from a club
affiliated to one association to a club affiliated to another association.
2.
The terms of the loan agreement shall be enclosed with the ITC request.
3.
Upon expiry of the loan period, the ITC shall be returned, upon request, to theassociation of the club that released the player on loan.

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Annexe 4
Training compensation1

Objective

1.
A player’s training and education takes place between the ages of 12 and 23.
Training compensation shall be payable, as a general rule, up to the age of 23
for training incurred up to the age of 21, unless it is evident that a player has
already terminated his training period before the age of 21. In the latter case,training compensation shall be payable until the end of the season in which
the player reaches the age of 23, but the calculation of the amount payable
shall be based on the years between the age of 12 and the age when it isestablished that the player actually completed his training.
2.
The obligation to pay training compensation is without prejudice to any
obligation to pay compensation for breach of contract.

2

Payment of training compensation

1.
Training compensation is due when:i. a player is registered for the first time as a professional; orii.	a professional is transferred between clubs of two different associations(whether during or at the end of his contract)
before the end of the season of his 23rd birthday.
2.
Training compensation is not due if:i.	the former club terminates the player’s contract without just cause(without prejudice to the rights of the previous clubs); or
ii. the player is transferred to a category 4 club; oriii. a professional reacquires amateur status on being transferred.

Annexe 4

3

Responsibility to pay training compensation

1.
On registering as a professional for the first time, the club with which theplayer is registered is responsible for paying training compensation within
30 days of registration to every club with which the player has previously beenregistered (in accordance with the players’ career history as provided in theplayer passport) and that has contributed to his training starting from theseason of his 12th birthday. The amount payable is calculated on a pro rata
basis according to the period of training that the player spent with each club.
In the case of subsequent transfers of the professional, training compensation
will only be owed to his former club for the time he was effectively trained bythat club.
2.
In both of the above cases, the deadline for payment of training compensation
is 30 days following the registration of the professional with the new
association.
3.
An association is entitled to receive the training compensation which inprinciple would be due to one of its affiliated clubs, if it can provide evidence
that the club in question – with which the professional was registered andtrained – has in the meantime ceased to participate in organised football and/or no longer exists due to, in particular, bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution
or loss of affiliation. This compensation shall be reserved for youth footballdevelopment programmes in the association(s) in question.

4

Training costs

1.
In order to calculate the compensation due for training and education costs,
associations are instructed to divide their clubs into a maximum of four
categories in accordance with the clubs’ financial investment in training
players. The training costs are set for each category and correspond to theamount needed to train one player for one year multiplied by an average“player factor”, which is the ratio of players who need to be trained to
produce one professional player.

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Annexe 4
2.
The training costs, which are established on a confederation basis for eachcategory of club, as well as the categorisation of clubs for each association, arepublished on the FIFA website (www.FIFA.com). They are updated at the endof every calendar year. Associations are required to keep the data regarding
the training category of their clubs inserted in TMS up to date at all times(cf. Annexe 3, article 5.1 paragraph 2).

5

Calculation of training compensation

1.
As a general rule, to calculate the training compensation due to a player’s
former club(s), it is necessary to take the costs that would have been incurredby the new club if it had trained the player itself.
2.
Accordingly, the first time a player registers as a professional, the training
compensation payable is calculated by taking the training costs of the new
club multiplied by the number of years of training, in principle from theseason of the player’s 12th birthday to the season of his 21st birthday. In thecase of subsequent transfers, training compensation is calculated based on the
training costs of the new club multiplied by the number of years of training
with the former club.
3.
To ensure that training compensation for very young players is not set at
unreasonably high levels, the training costs for players for the seasons between
their 12th and 15th birthdays (i.e. four seasons) shall be based on the training
and education costs of category 4 clubs.
4.
The Dispute Resolution Chamber may review disputes concerning the amountof training compensation payable and shall have discretion to adjust thisamount if it is clearly disproportionate to the case under review.

Annexe 4

6Special provisions for the EU/EEA

1.
For players moving from one association to another inside the territory of the
EU/EEA, the amount of training compensation payable shall be establishedbased on the following:a) If the player moves from a lower to a higher category club, the calculation
shall be based on the average training costs of the two clubs.
b) If the player moves from a higher to a lower category, the calculation shallbe based on the training costs of the lower-category club.
2.
Inside the EU/EEA, the final season of training may occur before the seasonof the player’s 21st birthday if it is established that the player completed his
training before that time.
3.
If the former club does not offer the player a contract, no training
compensation is payable unless the former club can justify that it is entitledto such compensation. The former club must offer the player a contract inwriting via registered post at least 60 days before the expiry of his current
contract. Such an offer shall furthermore be at least of an equivalent value tothe current contract. This provision is without prejudice to the right to training
compensation of the player’s previous club(s).

7Disciplinary measures

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose disciplinary measures on clubs orplayers that do not observe the obligations set out in this annexe.

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Annexe 5
Solidarity mechanism

1

Solidarity contribution

If a professional moves during the course of a contract, 5% of any
compensation, not including training compensation paid to his former club,shall be deducted from the total amount of this compensation and distributedby the new club as a solidarity contribution to the club(s) involved in his training
and education over the years. This solidarity contribution reflects the numberof years (calculated pro rata if less than one year) he was registered with therelevant club(s) between the seasons of his 12th and 23rd birthdays, as follows:– Season of 12th birthday: 5% (i.e. 0.25% of total compensation)– Season of 13th birthday: 5% (i.e. 0.25% of total compensation)– Season of 14th birthday: 5% (i.e. 0.25% of total compensation)– Season of 15th birthday: 5% (i.e. 0.25% of total compensation)– Season of 16th birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 17th birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 18th birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 19th birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 20th birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 21st birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 22nd birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)– Season of 23rd birthday: 10% (i.e. 0.5% of total compensation)

Annexe 5

2

Payment procedure1.
The new club shall pay the solidarity contribution to the training club(s)pursuant to the above provisions no later than 30 days after the player’s
registration or, in case of contingent payments, 30 days after the date of suchpayments.
2.
It is the responsibility of the new club to calculate the amount of the solidarity
contribution and to distribute it in accordance with the player’s career history
as provided in the player passport. The player shall, if necessary, assist the new
club in discharging this obligation.
3.
An association is entitled to receive the proportion of solidarity contribution
which in principle would be due to one of its affiliated clubs, if it can provide
evidence that the club in question – which was involved in the professional’s
training and education – has in the meantime ceased to participate in organised
football and/or no longer exists due to, in particular, bankruptcy, liquidation,
dissolution or loss of affiliation. This solidarity contribution shall be reserved foryouth football development programmes in the association(s) in question.
4.
The Disciplinary Committee may impose disciplinary measures on clubs that do
not observe the obligations set out in this annexe.

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Annexe 6
Procedure governing claims related to training compensation(article 20) and the solidarity mechanism (article 21)

1

Principles

1.
All claims related to training compensation according to article 20 and to thesolidarity mechanism according to article 21 must be submitted and managed
through TMS. The claims shall be entered in TMS by the club holding a TMS
account or, in the case of a club without a TMS account, by the association
concerned.
2.
Unless otherwise specified in the provisions below, the Rules Governing theProcedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution
Chamber shall be applied to the claim procedure, subject to any slightdeviations that may result from the computer-based process.

2

Responsibility of clubs and member associations

1.
All clubs and all member associations shall check the “Claims” tab in TMS atregular intervals of at least every three days and pay particular attention to
any petitions or requests for statements.
2.
Professional clubs and member associations will be fully responsible for any
procedural disadvantages that may arise due to a failure to respect paragraph
1 above.

3

Composition of sub-committee

The sub-committee appointed by the Dispute Resolution Chamber shall becomposed of members of the Dispute Resolution Chamber and, as a generalrule, each member of the sub-committee shall be able to pass decisions as asingle judge.

Annexe 6

4

Conduct during proceedings

1.
All parties involved in proceedings shall act in good faith.
2.
All parties involved in proceedings are obliged to tell the truth to the subcommittee. Sanctions may be imposed on any association or club found tohave provided untrue or false data to the sub-committee or for having used
the TMS application procedure for illegitimate purposes. Any violations, suchas forged documents, will be sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee inaccordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
3.
The sub-committee may use all means at its disposal to ensure that theseprinciples of conduct are observed.
4.
The relevant TMS department shall investigate matters in relation to the
obligations of parties under the present annexe. All parties are obliged
to collaborate to establish the facts. In particular, they shall comply, upon
reasonable notice, with requests for any documents, information or any othermaterial of any nature held by them. In addition, the parties shall comply withrequests for the procurement and provision of documents, information or any
other material of any nature not held by them but which they are entitled toobtain. Non-compliance with these requests may lead to sanctions imposed by
the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

5Initiation of proceedings and submission of documents related
to training compensation claims

1.
Claim for training compensation (article 20 and Annexe 4) shall be enteredin TMS by the appropriate party in accordance with article 1.1 above.
Applications submitted by any other means will not be considered.
2.
Depending on the details of the claim in question, the claimant shall alsoeither personally or through its association (if it does not hold a TMS account)
enter mandatory documents from the following list in TMS:

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Annexe 6– Names of the parties– A detailed representation of the case and the grounds for the claim– The amount claimed– The category (I,II,III or IV) of the respondent– Official confirmation from the claimant’s member association of the startand end dates of its sporting season (e.g. from 1 July until 30 June of thefollowing year) during the period when the player was registered with theclaimant– Complete career history (all player passports [cf. article 7] from the relevant
associations involved), including the player’s date of birth and all clubs withwhich the player has been registered since the season of the player’s 12thbirthday until the date of his registration with the respondent club, taking
into account any possible interruptions, as well as indicating the status of theplayer (amateur or professional) with all clubs– Information about the exact date (day/month/year) of the first registrationof the player as a professional (if applicable)–	Information about the exact date (day/month/year) of the transfer onwhich the claim is based (if the claim is based on a subsequent transfer of aprofessional player)–	Evidence that the advance of costs has been paid or that no advance of costs
needs to be paid
– Official confirmation from the claimant’s member association of thecategory of the claimant (if the player is moving inside the territory of the
EU/EEA, cf. Annexe 4 article 6)– Documentary evidence in connection with Annexe 4 article 6 paragraph 3(if the player is moving inside the territory of the EU/EEA, cf. Annexe 4
article 6)– Documentary evidence in connection with Annexe 4 article 3 paragraph 3 (ifthe claimant is an association)– Power of attorney (if applicable)
3.
If a mandatory document is not submitted, or if a translation is not submitted
in accordance with article 8 below, the claimant will be notified accordingly
in TMS. A claim will only be processed if all mandatory documents have been
submitted, or if all necessary translations have been correctly submitted inaccordance with article 8 below.
4.
The claimant may also submit any other documents it deems necessary
together with the claim. The sub-committee may request further documentsfrom the claimant at any time.

Annexe 6
5.
Claims by of amateur clubs without TMS access shall be submitted by the
association concerned.

6

Initiation of proceedings and submission of documents related
to solidarity mechanism claims

1.
Claims for solidarity contribution (article 21 and Annexe 5) shall be entered in
TMS by the appropriate party in accordance with article 1.1 above. Applications
submitted by any other means will not be considered.
2.
Depending on the details of the claim in question, the claimant shall either
personally or through its association (if it does not hold a TMS account) also
enter mandatory documents from the following list in TMS:
– Names of the parties– A detailed representation of the case and the grounds for the claim– 	Information about the exact date (day/month/year) of the transfer on which
the claim is based– 	Information about the clubs involved in the transfer on which the claim isbased– 	The percentage of solidarity contribution claimed– Official confirmation from the claimant’s member association of the startand end dates of its sporting season (e.g. from 1 July until 30 June of thefollowing year) during the period when the player was registered with theclaimant–	
Written confirmation from the relevant association with regard to theplayer’s exact registration dates with the claimant club, i.e. from which date(day/month/year) until which date (day/month/year), taking into account any
possible interruptions, including the player’s date of birth as well as indicating
his status (amateur or professional) with the claimant–	The alleged amount for which the player was apparently transferred to his
new club, if known, or a statement to the effect that the amount is currently
not known–	Evidence that the advance of costs has been paid or that no advance of costs
needs to be paid
– Documentary evidence in connection with Annexe 5 article 2 paragraph 3(if the claimant is an association)– Power of attorney (if applicable)

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Annexe 63.
If a mandatory document is not submitted, or if a translation is not submitted
in accordance with article 8 below, the claimant will be notified accordingly
in TMS. A claim will only be processed if all mandatory documents have been
submitted, or if all necessary translations have been correctly submitted inaccordance with article 8 below.
4.
The claimant may also submit any other documents it deems necessary
together with the claim. The sub-committee may request further documentsfrom the claimant at any time.
5.
The claims of amateur clubs without TMS access shall be submitted by the
association concerned.

7

Notification of claim to respondent

1.
If all mandatory documents have been submitted (cf. articles 5 and 6 above)and if there is no reason not to deal with a claim, the claim (including all
documents) shall be sent via TMS to the respondent. The respondent shall have
20 days from the date on which the claim is sent via TMS in which to upload
its responding statement (including all exhibits, if any). The respondent will
also be granted access to all documents on file in TMS. The documents andtheir contents must be treated with the necessary confidentiality and may only
be used within the scope of the relevant procedure. The sub-committee may
request further documents from the respondent at any time.
2.
A second exchange of correspondence will only be held in special cases. Anysuch second exchange of correspondence shall also be processed through TMS.
3.
If no responding statement is received within 20 days, a decision shall be taken
upon the basis of the documents already on file.

Annexe 6

8Language of documents

All documents shall be submitted in the original version and, if applicable,translated into one of the four official languages of FIFA. Failure to do so may
result in the sub-committee disregarding the document in question.

9

Deadlines

1.
Deadlines shall be set legally through TMS.
2.
All submissions must be entered in TMS by the deadline in the time zone of
the association concerned.

10

Notification of decisions, legal remedy

1.
All parties concerned shall be legally notified of the sub-committee’s decision
via TMS, either directly or through their association. Notification will bedeemed complete once the decision has been uploaded into TMS. Such
notification of decisions shall be legally binding.
2.
The parties concerned shall be notified of the findings of the decision, either
directly or through their association. At the same time, the parties shall be
informed that they have ten days from notification in which to request, inwriting via TMS, the grounds of the decision, and that failure to do so will
result in the decision becoming final and binding and that the parties shallbe deemed to have waived their rights to lodge an appeal. If a party requests
the grounds of the decision, the motivated decision will be notified to theparties, either directly or via their association, in full, written form via TMS. The
time limit to lodge an appeal begins upon such notification of the motivateddecision.

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Annexe 7
Rules for the Status and Transfer of Futsal Players

1

Principle

These rules are an integral part of the FIFA Regulations on the Status andTransfer of Players.

2

Scope

1.
The Rules for the Status and Transfer of Futsal Players establish global andbinding provisions concerning the status of futsal players, their eligibility toparticipate in organised football, and their transfer between clubs belonging
to different associations.
2.
The Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players shall apply without
alterations to futsal players unless a diverging provision in this Annexe 7
expressly provides for a different rule applicable to futsal.
3.
The transfer of futsal players between clubs belonging to the same Associationis governed by specific regulations issued by the Association in accordance withart. 1 of these regulations.
4.
The following provisions in these regulations are binding for futsal atnational level and shall be included, without modification, in the association’s
regulations: arts 2-8, 10, 11, 12bis, 18, 18bis, 18ter, 19 and 19bis.
5.
Each association shall include in its regulations appropriate means to protect
contractual stability, paying due respect to mandatory national law andcollective bargaining agreements. In particular, the principles in art. 1 par. 3 (b)of these regulations shall be considered.

Annexe 7

3

Release and eligibility of players for association teams

1.
The provisions in Annexe 1 of these regulations are binding.
2.
A player may only represent one association in both futsal and eleven-a-side
football. Any player who has already represented one association (either infull or in part) in an official eleven-a-side or futsal competition of any category
may not play an international match with another association team. This
provision is subject to the exception in art. 5 par. 2 and art. 8 of the Regulations
Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes.

4

Registration

1.
A futsal player must be registered with an association to play for a club as either
a professional or an amateur in accordance with the provisions of art. 2 of theseregulations. Only registered players are eligible to participate in organised
football. By the act of registering, a player agrees to abide by the Statutes andregulations of FIFA, the confederations and the associations.
2.
A player may only be registered for one futsal club at a time. A player may,
however, also be registered for one eleven-a-side club during this time. It is
not necessary for the futsal and the eleven-a-side club to belong to the same
association.
3.
Players may be registered with a maximum of three futsal clubs during one
season. During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches
for two futsal clubs. As an exception to this rule, a player moving between
two futsal clubs belonging to associations with overlapping seasons (i.e.
start of the season in summer/autumn as opposed to winter/spring) may be
eligible to play in official matches for a third futsal club during the relevant
season, provided he has fully complied with his contractual obligations
towards his previous clubs. Equally, the provisions relating to the registration
periods (art. 6 of these regulations) as well as to the minimum length of acontract (art. 18 par. 2 of these regulations) must be respected. The number of

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Annexe 7
eleven-a-side clubs with which the same player may also be registered during
one season is specified in art. 5 par. 3 of these regulations.

5International Futsal Transfer Certificate

1.
Futsal players registered with one association may only be registered with afutsal club of a new association once the latter has received an International
Futsal Transfer Certificate (hereinafter: IFTC) from the former association. The
IFTC shall be issued free of charge without any conditions or time limitation.
Any provision to the contrary shall be null and void. The association issuing the
IFTC shall deposit a copy with FIFA. The administrative procedures for issuingan International Transfer Certificate (ITC) for eleven-a-side football shall be
likewise applicable to the issuing of an IFTC. These procedures are set out inAnnexe 3a of these regulations. The IFTC must be distinguishable from the ITC
used in eleven-a-side football.
2.
An IFTC is not required for a player under the age of 10.

6

Enforcement of disciplinary sanctions

1.
A suspension imposed in terms of matches (cf. art. 20 paras 1 and 2 of the FIFA
Disciplinary Code) on a player for an infringement committed when playing
futsal or in relation to a futsal match shall only affect the player’s participation
for his futsal club. Similarly, a suspension imposed in terms of matches ona player participating in eleven-a-side football shall only affect the player’s
participation for his eleven-a-side club.
2.
A suspension imposed in terms of days and months shall affect a player’s
participation for both his futsal as well as his eleven-a-side club, regardless ofwhether the infringement was committed in eleven-a-side football or futsal.
3.
The association with which a player is registered shall notify a suspension
imposed in terms of days and months to the second association with which

Annexe 7
this player may be registered, if the player is registered for a futsal and an
eleven-a-side club belonging to two different associations.
4.
Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months thathas been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely)
served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association atwhich the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served atdomestic level. When issuing the IFTC, the former association shall notify the
new association in writing of any such disciplinary sanction that has yet to be(entirely) served.
5.
Any disciplinary sanction of more than four matches or more than threemonths that has not yet been (entirely) served by a player shall be enforced by
the new association that has registered the player only if the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee has extended the disciplinary sanction to have worldwide effect.
Additionally, when issuing the IFTC, the former association shall notify the new
association in writing of any such pending disciplinary sanction.

7

Respect of contract

1.
A professional under contract with an eleven-a-side club may only sign a second
professional contract with a different futsal club if he obtains written approval
from the eleven-a-side club employing him. A professional under contract with afutsal club may only sign a second professional contract with a different elevena-side club if he obtains written approval from the futsal club employing him.
2.
The provisions applicable to the maintenance of contractual stability are set
out in arts 13-18 of these regulations.

8

Protection of minors

International player transfers are only permitted if the player is over the age of
18. The exceptions to this rule are outlined in art. 19 of these regulations.

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Annexe 79Training compensation

The provisions on training compensation as provided for in art. 20 and Annexe
4 of these regulations shall not apply to the transfer of players to and fromfutsal clubs.

10

Solidarity mechanism

The provisions on solidarity mechanism as provided for in art. 21 and Annexe
5 of these regulations shall not apply to the transfer of players to and fromfutsal clubs.

11FIFA competence1.
Without prejudice to the right of any futsal player or club to seek redress before
a civil court for employment-related disputes, FIFA is competent to deal withdisputes as stipulated in art. 22 of these regulations.
2.
The Players’ Status Committee or the single judge shall adjudicate on all
disputes as stipulated in art. 23 of these regulations.
3.
The Dispute Resolution Chamber or the DRC judge shall deal with disputes asprovided for in art. 24 of these regulations.
4.
The decisions passed by the aforementioned bodies may be appealed to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Annexe 7

12Matters not provided for

Matters not provided for in this Annexe shall be governed by theseregulations.

13

Official languages

In the case of any discrepancy in the interpretation of the English, French,
Spanish or German texts of these regulations, the English text shall beauthoritative.

12.17 PDF MAV/mku/rsi

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Fédération Internationale de Football Association