Rules for the Status and Transfer of Futsal Players

PREAMBLE

Set out below are the FIFA Rules for the Status and Transfer of Futsal Players. These rules are an integral part (Annex 7) of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the “Regulations”) and should be read at all times in conjunction with the Regulations, a copy of which can be viewed or downloaded from www.fifa.com.
 

DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of these rules, the terms set out below are defined as follows:

Former association: the association to which the former club is affiliated.

New association: the association to which the new club is affiliated.

New club: the club that the player is joining.

Official matches: matches played in the framework of organised football, such as national league championships, national cups and international championships for clubs, but not including friendly and trial matches.

Organised football: association football organised under the auspices of FIFA, the confederations and the associations, or authorised by them.

Registration period: a period fixed by the relevant association in accordance with article 6 of the Regulations.

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.

Training compensation: the payments made in accordance with Annexe 4 to cover the development of young players.

Minor: a player who has not yet reached the age of 18.

Eleven-a-side football: football played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as authorised by the International Football Association Board.

Futsal: football played in accordance with the Futsal Laws of the Game that have been drawn up by FIFA in collaboration with the Sub-Committee of the International Football Association Board.

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

FIFA RULES FOR THE STATUS AND TRANSFER OF FUTSAL PLAYERS (ANNEXE 7)

1. PRINCIPLE

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

2. SCOPE

1. The Rules for the Status and Transfer of Futsal Players establish global and binding provisions concerning the status of futsal players, their eligibility to participate 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 Association is governed by specific regulations issued by the Association in accordance with art. 1 of these regulations.

4. The following provisions in the Regulations are binding for futsal at national level and shall be included, without modification, in the association’s regulations: art. 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 and collective bargaining agreements. In particular, the principles in art. 1 par. 3(b) of the Regulations shall be considered.

3. RELEASE AND ELIGIBILITY OF PLAYERS FOR ASSOCIATION TEAMS

1. The provisions in Annexe 1 of the 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 in full 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 OF FUTSAL PLAYERS

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 the Regulations. Only registered players are eligible to participate in organised football. By the act of 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 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 the 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 toward his previous club. Equally, the provisions relating to the registration period (art. 6 of the Regulations) as well as to the minimum length of a contract (art.18 par. 2 of the Regulations) must be respected.  The number of eleven-a-side clubs with which the same player may also be registered during one season is specified in art. 5 par. 3 of the Regulations.

5. INTERNATIONAL FUTSAL TRANSFER CERTIFICATE

1. Futsal players registered with one association may only be registered with a futsal 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 issuing an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) for eleven-a-side football shall be likewise applicable to the issuing of an IFTC. These procedures are set out in Annexe 3a of the 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 on a 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 of whether 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 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 that has 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 at which the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served at domestic 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 three months 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 a futsal club may only sign a second professional contract with a different eleven-a-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 the Regulations.

8. PROTECTION OF MINORS 

1. 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 the Regulations.

9. TRAINING COMPENSATION

1. The provisions on training compensation as provided for in art. 20 and Annexe 4 of the Regulations shall not apply to the transfer of players to and from futsal clubs.

10. SOLIDARITY MECHANISM

1. The provisions on solidarity mechanism as provided for in art. 21 and Annexe 5 of the Regulations shall not apply to the transfer of players to and from futsal clubs.

11. FIFA COMPETENCE

1. 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 with disputes as stipulated in art. 22 of the Regulations.

2. The Players’ Status Committee or the single judge shall adjudicate on all disputes as stipulated in art. 23 of the Regulations.

3. The Dispute Resolution Chamber or the DRC judge shall deal with disputes as provided for in art. 24 of the Regulations.

4. The decisions passed by the aforementioned bodies may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

12. MATTERS NOT PROVIDED FOR

1. Matters not provided for in these rules shall be governed by the Regulations.