FIFA to Associations: Register Academy Players

Sept 16, 2009 (RELEASE) -- FIFA, the governing body for soccer worldwide, issued a directive regarding revised regulations for the status and transfer of players. Specifically circular 1190 deals with FIFA member obligations regarding the protection of minors.

This binding report states: “each association [under FIFA] is obliged to ensure that all players attending an academy that is not linked to a club…are reported to the association”. The circular also goes on to state that the purpose of the new regulations is to “better monitor and control the observance of the rules pertaining to the protection of minors in order to safeguard young players as well as training clubs from being exploited”.

In the official amendment to the regulations, an ‘Academy’ is defined by FIFA as “an organization or an independent legal entity whose primary, long-term objective is to provide players with long-term training through the provision of the necessary training facilities and infrastructure. This shall primarily include, but not be limited to, football training centres, football camps, football schools, etc.”. The new regulation (19bis) also states:

Each association is obliged to ensure that all academies …:

a) run a club that participates in the relevant national championships all players shall be reported to the association upon whose territory the academy operates, or registered with the club itself or

b) report all minors who attend the academy for the purpose of training to the association upon whose territory the academy operates.

These regulations are to go into effect on October 1, 2009. Violations of the new provisions would be subject to sanctions by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC) is a national organization in existence since 2005 and currently representing nine (9) private soccer academies.

SAAC welcomes the latest developments from the FIFA Congress in Nassau, Bahamas regarding the issue of protection of minors. It is critical to the well-being of youth players as well as to the success of player development in general that those charged with training minors be held to the highest standards of safety and competence.

SAAC plans to diligently lobby the appropriate levels of governance in order to ensure that FIFA regulations are being adhered to and that proper recognition and protection is given to the fine young players that are being developed in the Canadian Academy system.

To learn more about this news release from FIFA to Associations, click on this PDF file from FIFA.

About Soccer Academy Alliance Canada --

Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC) is a Not-For-Profit Association formed in 2005 with the mission to develop world class soccer players in Canada on a continual & systematic basis by providing our members with best-in-class training, facilities & competition. The SAAC vision is to become and be recognized as the primary player development platform in Canada.

For further information, please contact Lino Terra, Operations Manager at (416) 560-6791 or saac@academysoccer.ca

ANB academy's vision is to become Canada’s leading soccer development organization. Its mission is to identify Canadian soccer talent, and to maximize the potential of players at any level, through professional coaching and training.

For more information on the programs offered by ANB academy, check out our website site at www.anbfutbol.com or by telephone at 905-313-8661 or via e-mail at info@anbfutbol.com