Section 17 - Circular Provisions
Note that a player can request FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber to award financial
compensation and/or impose disciplinary measures on his former club, if it is determined
that this player terminated his contract with this club with just cause or sporting just cause
and the player as a result of application of the present Regulations has been suspended
from playing in the national championship of his new club, pending a decision on the
justified character of the breach. The Chamber must rule on this request within 60 days after
the date on which the player has submitted to it by the player. A decision of the Chamber
can be appealed to the Arbitration Tribunal for Football, but this appeal shall not have
suspensive effect.
6.
Release of players for national association representative matches
Within the scope of the revision of the rules for international transfers of players, some
adaptations were also made to the chapter of the Regulations dealing with the release of
players for national association representative matches, with the aim of improving the
system with due consideration of the interests of all of the parties directly concerned by the
release of a player. The following remarks concern the main alterations in this connection.
- a.
Compulsory release of players
As a general rule, the number of matches for which a player has to be released, has been
reduced from seven to five games per calendar year. This provision shall come into force on
1. January 2002. On the other hand, after five matches have been played, the compulsory
release of the player shall be extended to any additional games which a national association
is required to play during the same calendar year in the FIFA World CupTM preliminary
competition as well as – and this is new – in the Olympic Football Tournaments preliminary
competition and/or in the preliminary competition of confederation championships for “A”
national teams.
Furthermore, we would like to draw your attention to the provision concerning national
association’s representative teams, which have qualified ex officio for a final competition.
For these teams, the compulsory release shall comprise eight international matches
(previously five) per calendar year. This provision shall also come into force on 1 January
2002.
Another key clause, which has been added to the relevant provisions, explicitly stipulates
that it is not compulsory to release players for friendly matches scheduled on dates outside
the coordinated international match calendar (CIMC). As a matter of form, we wish to
emphasise that the CIMC will enter into force on 1 January 2002.
- b.
The period of release
A slight modification concerns the extent of the period of preparation for which a player has
to be released. As a general rule, in the case of a summons for a qualifying match for an
international competition, the period of compulsory release has been reduced from 5 to
4. days, including the day of the match. However, this period shall be prolonged to 5 days if
See Art. 42.1.(b)(v) of the Basic Regulations.
See Art. 42.1.(c) of the Basic Regulations.
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