Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players - March 2023 edition
The March 2023 edition of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, approved on 14 March 2023 and in force from 1 April 2023; the FIFA ID was extended to football agents and an electronic domestic transfer system was defined.
| Approval | 14 March 2023 — FIFA Council |
| In force from | 1 April 2023; article 18 paragraph 1 and parts of Annexe 3 from 1 October 2023 |
| Structure | 29 articles + annexes |
| Status | Superseded — replaced by the May 2023 edition |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 binding global 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 every national association.
About the March 2023 editionChanges from October 2022
Pursuant to article 29, this edition was approved by the FIFA Council on 14 March 2023 and entered into force on 1 April 2023, with the exception of article 18 paragraph 1 and paragraphs of articles 10 and 12 of Annexe 3, whose application was deferred to 1 October 2023.
Principal changes from the previous edition
- Extension of the FIFA ID to football agentsThe definition of the unique identifier was expanded from "club, association and player" to "club, association, player and football agent" — concurrently with the introduction of the agent licensing system.
- Replacement of the FIFA Connect ID ServiceReferences to the "FIFA Connect system" were replaced by the "FIFA Connect ID Service" and the "FIFA Connect Interface", and the requirement that associations' electronic registration systems be integrated with both was made explicit.
- Definition of the "electronic domestic transfer system"For the first time, an online system was defined for the management and monitoring of all domestic transfers within each association, which must be aligned with the TMS model at international level and must collect certain minimum data items (full name, gender, nationality, date of birth and player identifier, status, name and identifier of both clubs).
- Redefinition of "third party"The definition of third party was made more precise and expressly excluded the player being transferred from the scope of third party.
- Separation of the definitions of eleven-a-side football and futsalIndependent definitions of "eleven-a-side football" and "futsal" were added to the definitions provisions, based on the respective Laws of the Game.
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 has practical importance for past cases.