FIFA, the highest governing body in football, presented a new regulation on player loans with the aim of “developing young players, promoting competitive balance and avoiding the accumulation of footballers,” the body explained in a statement. This regulation will become effective as of July 1, 2022.
To begin with, it will be necessary to sign an agreement that defines all the terms of the loans, with special emphasis on the time and economic conditions. There will be a minimum duration for the assignment, which will be the interval between two registration periods, and a maximum of one year. In addition, the new regulation prohibits the transfer of players who are already on loan to a third club.
The number of players loaned per season between two clubs is also limited, both to receive and to loan. They cannot be more than three footballers per campaign.
One of the points where FIFA emphasized the most is the maximum number of loans per season that a club may have, this figure that will decrease as the years go by.
“From July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, a club may loan a maximum of eight professionals and include eight professionals on loan at any time during a season,” FIFA commented, taking into account that a maximum of three players may be from the same club. However, this number will be reduced to seven players for the 2023-24 season and six from the 2024-25 season onwards.
From when will this apply?
FIFA’s intention is that the rules come into force on July 1, 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a delay in the implementation of the regulation that is part of the general reform of the transfer system that began the institution in 2017.
At the national level, the associations that are part of FIFA will have a period of three years to implement the rules of a loan system that is in line with the principles established at the international level.
Does this affect all players?
All players up to 21 years of age will be exempt from these limitations, as well as footballers trained by the club.
Fountain: Ole
