A newer edition of this regulation is available: January 2027

Football·International Regulations·FIFA

FIFA RSTP-2016

Superseded2016
Adopted
2016/03/17
In force from
2016/06/01
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The 2016 edition of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, approved on 17 March 2016 and in force from 1 June 2016; the three-tier system of international windows and the designation of a dedicated judge for clubs and players in the Dispute Resolution Chamber began with this edition.

Approval17 March 2016 — FIFA Executive Committee
In force from1 June 2016
Structure29 articles + 7 annexes
StatusSuperseded — replaced by the January 2018 edition

What are 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 rules of each national association.

About the 2016 editionChanges from the October 2015 edition

This edition was approved on 17 March 2016 by the FIFA Executive Committee and entered into force on 1 June 2016.

Key changes from the previous edition

  1. Definition of three types of international window in Annexe 1The system of windows reserved for national teams was divided into three types: type I (nine days, reserved for national-team activity), type II (nine days, reserved for confederations' qualifying mini-tournaments with a maximum of three matches) and type III (ten days).
  2. Sanction for repeated breaches by associations of the obligation to release a playerIt was provided that, in the event of repeated breaches, the FIFA Players' Status Committee may reduce the release period or bar the association from calling up the player to the national team in subsequent activity.
  3. Designation of a dedicated judge for clubs and players in the Dispute Resolution ChamberIt was provided that the members of the Dispute Resolution Chamber shall designate from among themselves one judge for clubs and one judge for players.
  4. Extension of the conditions for the protection of minorsThe conditions of article 19 were extended to players who have never previously been registered with a club, who are not nationals of the country in which they seek registration and who have not lived continuously in that country for at least the last five years.

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.