A child joins a Premier League academy through a trial the club offers, and the initial trial can last up to eight consecutive weeks in any one season without the child being registered. Before it starts, the club must give notice, send the required paperwork and receive league confirmation.
How a trial starts
A trial begins only when the club puts it in motion. Before it starts, the club must send the league the trialist's details on the league form, together with proof of home address, proof of date of birth and a photograph.
The club must also give at least seven days' written notice to the trialist's junior club and school. The trial can go ahead only after the league has confirmed that those conditions have been met.
A child cannot be offered a trial if he is already on trial at another academy. The same block applies if another club holds his registration, unless that club gives written consent.
Who can be offered a trial
Here are the age groups and travelling-time limits for an academy trial.
| Age group | Travelling time from home to the academy |
|---|---|
| Under 9 to Under 11 | Within one hour |
| Under 12 and Under 13 | Within one and a half hours |
| Under 14 to Under 16 | No travelling time set |
The rule looks at travelling time from the child's permanent home to the academy. Any question or dispute about that travelling time is decided by the board in its absolute discretion.
How long a trial can last and how it can be extended
The initial trial can last for up to eight consecutive weeks in a season. For age groups Under 9 to Under 16, a club may ask the board for permission to extend that period by a further four weeks.
The request has to be made at least one week before the trial is due to expire. It must include whatever information and assurances the league requires, and it also needs the consent of the trialist and his parents, guardians or carers.
An extension is granted only when the league is satisfied with the club's arrangements for the trialist's welfare and education. If injury or anything else interrupts the trial, the club may also apply in writing for an extension, using the same minimum notice period.
What a trialist may and may not do during the trial
During the first seven weeks of the initial eight-week trial, the trialist may not register with another club. That restriction applies to the opening part of the initial trial period.
If the trial has already moved into an approved extension, the trialist may end that extended trial at any time. If a trial ends early, the club must tell the league on the league form.
If the club applies to register the child as an academy player, the trial is treated as cancelled immediately. The trial and the registration process do not continue side by side.
FAQ
What do parents have to agree to for an academy trial?
Parental agreement becomes a formal requirement when the club wants to extend the trial. The extension application needs the consent of the trialist and his parents, guardians or carers.
Does every trial run for the full eight weeks?
No. Eight weeks is the maximum length of the initial unregistered trial in a season, not a fixed minimum. A club can end the trial earlier, but it must notify the league on the proper form.
Can a child be on trial at two academies at the same time?
No. A child who is already on trial at another academy cannot be offered another academy trial. A separate rule covers a child whose registration is held by another club, and that case needs written consent from that club.
What happens if the club wants to sign the child?
Once the club applies to register the trialist as an academy player, the trial is cancelled immediately. From that point, the matter moves into registration rather than continuing as a trial.