Football·International Regulations·FIFA
FIFA RSTP-2015 Apr
The April 2015 edition of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, in force from 1 April 2015; the prohibition on third-party ownership of players' economic rights (article 18ter) and the overdue payables regime (article 12bis) entered the regulations in this edition.
| Approval | 20 and 21 March 2014 and 18 and 19 December 2014 — FIFA Executive Committee |
| In force from | 1 April 2015 |
| Structure | 29 articles (including 12bis, 18bis, 18ter, 19bis) + 5 annexes |
| Status | Repealed — superseded by the October 2015 edition |
What is the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players?
The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) determine the global and binding framework for the registration of players, their amateur or professional status, transfers between clubs affiliated to different associations, contractual stability, the protection of minors, and the training compensation and solidarity mechanisms. Certain provisions of these regulations must be incorporated without modification into the internal regulations of each national association.
About the April 2015 editionChanges from the 2014 edition
Pursuant to article 29, this edition was approved by the FIFA Executive Committee in two stages — 20 and 21 March 2014 and then 18 and 19 December 2014 — and entered into force on 1 April 2015. It is one of the most consequential editions in the history of these regulations.
Key changes from the previous edition
- Addition of article 18ter — third-party ownership of players' economic rightsThis article, which appeared in no earlier edition, was inserted for the first time in this edition and is the basis of the prohibition known as the "TPO ban".
- Addition of article 12bis — overdue payablesA regime for dealing with clubs' overdue debts entered the regulations: clubs are required to comply with their financial obligations towards players and other clubs, and a club that delays payment for more than 30 days without a prima facie contractual basis may be pursued. Formal condition: the creditor must have put the debtor club in default in writing and granted a deadline of at least ten days.
- Introduction of the definition of "third party" into the definitionsA third party was defined as "a party other than the two clubs transferring a player from one to the other, or any previous club with which the player has been registered".
Who this document matters to
For clubs engaged in international transfers, players and coaches under contract with a foreign club, agents and sports lawyers, this document is the principal basis for the legal assessment of a case. In any dispute, the applicable edition of the regulations is the one that was in force at the time the relevant event occurred; for that reason, access to the text of earlier editions is of practical importance for past cases.