Meeting today in Zurich, the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee took further steps to reform the transfer system with the establishment of a new system for training rewards and with the confirmation that, as of July 2020, limits on player loans will be introduced.

The committee, which includes representatives from clubs, leagues and players as well as member associations, confederations and the FIFA administration, endorsed the establishment of a fund to partly finance the payment of training compensation. The fund will be financed by an additional 1% levy on transfer fees. This modernised system will encourage and reward the training efforts of clubs and, as payments will be automated via the new FIFA Clearing House, it will ensure that training compensation is actually paid, which is often currently not the case.

Following today’s approval on the principle, a consultation process will now start with the stakeholders to agree on concrete parameters for the categorisation of clubs and calculation of training costs before the proposal is submitted to the FIFA Council with a view to coming into force in 2022.

The committee also endorsed new regulations concerning loans of players to ensure that they have a valid sporting purpose for youth development. In accordance with the new regulations, which will be submitted to the Players’ Status Committee and the FIFA Council for approval, as of July 2020, limitations on international loans of players aged 22 and older will be introduced. There will be a transitional period, with a limit of eight international loans in and out as of the 2020/2021 season, going down to six in and out by the 2022/2023 season, with a maximum of three loans in and three loans out between the same clubs.

At domestic level, the new regulations set a period of three years for member associations to implement rules on a loan system, which are in line with the principles established at international level.

In addition, with regard to matches and competitions with an international dimension, the committee endorsed the principle set out by the FIFA Council that official domestic matches should take place on the territory of the member association concerned. Regulations on this matter will be submitted to the FIFA Council.