CUTTING THROUGH RED TAPE
PLAYERS signing for Non-League clubs following spells abroad will have a shorter wait to make their debut after rules surrounding moves between countries were eased.
A change to FIFA’s regulations, first mooted last Autumn, was approved in February of this year only for the coronavirus outbreak to delay its implementation.
Previously, a new recruit might have watched from the sidelines for a month before receiving permission to play.
From next season, clearance – in the form of a provisional certificate – can be given in seven days.
“The biggest benefactors are players,” said Mark Harris, chairman of the Northern Premier League.
“If you’re not on the field for your new club, then you can’t help your new teammates and you won’t be getting paid unless you’re contracted.”
The process remains the same; any player seeking to join an English club, and who has previously turned out for one in another country, must have the necessary clearance in the form of an International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
The FA intervenes to obtain one from their counterparts abroad, but responsibility rests with his new team to check – and not a league – whether it has been issued.
Harris added: “Most clubs that fall foul of these rules do so because they don’t have that magic piece of paper.
“That requirement – confirmation from the FA in writing – still applies.”
He said the governing body in England has lobbied a while for the system to work faster.
Now that it can, staff in the registrations department at Wembley – already with plenty on a daily ‘to do’ list – will be under more pressure.
“It also means a shorter turnaround time for us to issue an ITC to other associations,” said the FA.
“With that in mind, we will continue to count on the support of both leagues and clubs to supply any information we ask for.
“Those details are vital to ensuring an arrival’s clearance is issued correctly and efficiently within the seven-day period.”
Last year, North West Counties League chairman Paul Lawler said his member clubs were more vulnerable to fielding an ineligible player because of the high number crossing the border between England and Wales.
That trend is unlikely to change either.
“It’s probably one of the busiest routes for transfer traffic,” said Rob Goodwin-Davey, the league’s registration secretary.
“And the process before was too slow. Think about it; 30 days is a long time to go without playing.
“While it was rare a delay of that length, it is a significant cut to now only have a week.
“It will affect my role, particularly if the FA ask for information – the date a guy’s registration was cancelled, for example – and needs an accurate response quickly.”
He anticipates a frantic few weeks with clubs in that competition able to register players for the 2020-21 campaign from the start of August.
A short distance away, the Football Association of Wales have been busy working out how they can satisfy FIFA’s desire for a more streamlined global transfer system. A spokesman told
The NLP: “We welcome the change, and have already circulated an appropriate communication to affected clubs so they have the relevant information they need.
“As with any amendment like this one, we must adapt, but the significant reduction in timeframes will greatly benefit teams and players.”