FA To Unveil New Player Agent Rules

The Football Association is to unveil new legislation clamping down on agents
acting for more than one party in a transfer as put forward by Lord Stevens’
recent report into the Premier League.

The Football Agents Regulations come into effect on Saturday and include
guidelines on dual representation, nepotism and overseas agents.

Despite the new regulations, the FA has admitted it only has limited powers
on dealing with third-party ownership, claiming the issue needs to be addressed
on a more wholesale basis by world governing body FIFA.

Overseas agents will have to register with the FA if they are going to deal
with English clubs and they will not be able to do business with any club that
employs a close family member.

Six new members of staff have been recruited by the FA to assist in the
monitoring and investigating of transfers and suspected rule breaches.

Some provision has been made within the new rules through ‘registration
rights’, which is a blanket prohibition on agents owning an interest, either
directly or indirectly, in the registration rights of a player.