Procedural rules governing the Football Tribunal - January 2026 edition
The January 2026 edition of the Procedural Rules Governing the FIFA Football Tribunal, approved on 17 December 2025 and in force from 1 January 2026; by adding Article 31, it systematised the handling of requests for a change of association, with a deadline of 15 days before the international window.
| Approved | 17 December 2025 — FIFA Council |
| In force from | 1 January 2026 |
| Structure | 36 articles (including Article 28bis) + one annexe |
| Status | Governs until 31 December 2026; then the January 2027 edition |
What are the Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal?
The Football Tribunal is FIFA's quasi-judicial body for deciding football disputes and comprises three chambers: the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), the Players' Status Chamber (PSC) and the Agents Chamber (AC). This document sets out the procedural rules for proceedings before all three chambers.
About the January 2026 editionChanges from January 2025
This edition was approved by the FIFA Council on 17 December 2025 and, pursuant to Article 35, entered into force on 1 January 2026. With the addition of one new article, the number of articles in the document rose from 35 to 36.
Principal changes from the January 2025 edition
- New Article 31 — requests concerning player eligibility or a change of associationA standalone article was added to govern requests by member associations concerning the "eligibility of a player" or a "change of association". Under it, such a request must be submitted through the FIFA Legal Portal and at least 15 calendar days before the first day of the international window in which the representative team is due to play. Previously, this category of request had no dedicated article.
- Renumbering of the final articlesWith the insertion of the new Article 31, the final articles shifted by one number: the transitional provisions moved from Article 31 to 32, matters not provided for and force majeure to 33, the authoritative text to 34 and entry into force to 35. When citing the final articles, attention to the edition date is essential.
- Flexibility in the composition of the chambersThe fixed numbers in the article on the composition of the Tribunal were converted into minimums: "two vice-chairpersons" became "at least two vice-chairpersons", "15 player representatives" became "at least 15 player representatives" and "15 club representatives" became "at least 15 club representatives". This change allows FIFA to increase the Tribunal's adjudicatory capacity in line with its caseload without amending the Procedural Rules.
Structure of the document
The document comprises 36 articles (35 articles plus Article 28bis) and one annexe, arranged in six chapters: general provisions; general procedural rules; specific rules for claims before the three chambers; specific rules for the solidarity mechanism, training rewards and the electronic player passport; regulatory applications before the Players' Status Chamber (the international transfer of minor players and requests for a change of association); and final provisions.
Who this document matters to
The new Article 31 is of direct importance to member associations and to dual-national players intending to change association or to establish their eligibility to play for a representative team: the deadline of 15 calendar days before the international window is a practical time limit that must be factored into the planning of training camps and squad lists. For all other parties, attention to the new numbering of the final articles is essential when drafting submissions and citing correctly.