A Premier League player registration ends when a transfer takes effect, when a contract expires in the relevant cases, when a contract is terminated for permanent incapacity, at season end for an amateur, or 30 months after the end of the season in which a player stops playing competitive football.
When a registration ends
Here is when each kind of registration comes to an end.
| Type of player | When the registration ends |
|---|---|
| Amateur player | At the end of the season in which the registration started |
| Contract player who is transferred | When the transfer takes effect |
| Out of contract player, Rule V.17 conditions met | When his new club puts the new registration in place |
| Out of contract player, those conditions not met | When his contract expires |
| Contract player who is permanently incapacitated | When his contract is terminated on that ground |
| Retired player | 30 months after the end of the season in which he stops playing competitive football |
How the routes differ
Contract and amateur registrations do not end in the same way. For a contract player, the registration can end through a transfer or through the end of the contract relationship. For an out of contract player, there is a split between cases that meet Rule V.17 and cases that do not; in the first group, the old registration ends when the new club completes the new registration.
Retirement has its own timing. The registration stays in place until 30 months have passed from the end of the season in which the player stops playing competitive football, so it is handled differently from transfer and contract-expiry cases.
Ending an amateur registration early
An amateur registration normally runs to the end of the season in which it began, but it can also end earlier. There are two routes: an agreement between club and player, or an order made by the board after an application from either side.
Where the club and player agree to end it early, the club must report that to the board in writing straight away. That reporting step applies to the early-ending route, not to the normal end at season close.
What happens after permanent incapacity
If a contract is ended because the player is permanently incapacitated, he cannot simply be registered elsewhere as a matter of course. Any new registration first needs the consent of the club that ended the contract on that ground.
A second layer applies if the player has taken a lump sum disability benefit under the league's personal accident insurance scheme. In that situation, the board's consent is also needed, and that consent is given only where the circumstances are exceptional.
FAQ
What happens to a registration after a player retires?
It does not end on the day the player stops. It ends 30 months after the end of the season in which he stops playing competitive football.
That makes retirement a separate route with its own timing, rather than a contract-expiry or transfer case.
What must a club confirm to the board about its players?
After the winter transfer window, each club must confirm whether the player list it has been sent is complete and accurate. If anyone is missing, the club must provide that player's details.
The same confirmation must also cover every contract player whose contract expires on 30 June in that year, saying whether the club has offered a new contract or exercised an option. It must also cover every academy player on a scholarship agreement, saying whether the club has given written notice of a one-year scholarship extension or written notice of an intention to offer a professional contract.
When is that confirmation due?
The normal deadline is after the winter transfer window and on or before the third Saturday in May that follows it. Some clubs get extra time.
A club still involved in the F.A. Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Conference League on that Saturday, or with a league match still to play, has four working days from that last match to send the information.
Can a club end a registration early?
For an amateur player, yes. It can happen by agreement between club and player, or by an order of the board after an application from either side.
For contract players, the registration ends through the routes tied to transfer, contract expiry, a new registration in the qualifying out of contract case, or termination for permanent incapacity, rather than through the amateur early-ending process.