New Premiership Squad Rules/Impact Home Grown Rule

[Macmoish]

Not sure re the Championship. But I think our squad is too big.

BBC

New Premier League squad rules explained

In and around this year's usual summer transfer gossip, you may have noticed the mention of 25-man squads and home-grown player quotas.

The 2010-11 Premier League season will see top flight clubs forced to comply with rules over the size and make-up of their squads.

The Premier League says the new rules are designed to increase the number of young 'home-grown' players in the Premier League, with a long-term aim of giving more options to the England manager.

But what will they actually mean in practice? BBC Sport explains the key points of the new system:

- Clubs register a squad of up to 25 players, which must include at least eight 'home-grown' players, at the end of each transfer window.

- Home-grown players do not have to be English; home-grown players are defined as those who "irrespective of nationality or age, have been affiliated to the FA or Welsh FA for a period of three seasons or 36 months prior to 21st birthday"

- Clubs can supplement squad with unlimited number of players under the age of 21.

- Changes can be made only during transfer windows, although in exceptional circumstances (eg goalkeeping injury crisis) moves could be allowed.

- Players loaned to Football League clubs cannot be replaced, but can regain their spot on return to parent club.

- Rules apply only to Premier League matches, not European, FA Cup or League Cup action.

- First deadline is 1700 BST on 1 September (24 hours after end of August transfer window).

(Full explanation available on Premier League website)

PREMIER LEAGUE SITE

Home Grown Player rules
We give a run-down of the new Home Grown Player rules for the coming season.

A home grown player is defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Welsh Football Association for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).

For the purposes of this rule, the season is deemed to run from the date the first transfer window closes until the final match of the campaign.

In keeping with UEFA guidelines, an Under 21 player is defined as one who is under the age of 21 on 1st January in the year in which the season commences. For the 2010/11 campaign Under 21 players will have been born on or after 1st January 1989.

exceptional circumstances

The 25-man squads must be submitted to the Premier League by 5pm on the day following the close of each transfer window. For the 2010/11 season the first window will close at 6pm on 31st August and final squads must be registered by 5pm on 1st September. Before then Clubs will not be required to name their squads and may select their teams from any registered players.

While the transfer windows are open, clubs may change their squads as many times as they want. However they will only be able to make alterations outside the windows if there are exceptional circumstances and the changes are approved by the Premier League board.

For example, if a club has two out of three goalkeepers injured they may be permitted to bring in a replacement under the guidelines drawn up by a specially formed working party.

Players in the 25-man squads who go out on loan to Football League clubs may not be replaced. However they may reclaim their place on their return.

Clubs do not have to name a full squad of 25 if they do not have that many contracted players and in this instance they may add free agents outside the transfer window. However if they have 25 eligible contracted players, they must be named.

Similarly, clubs do not have to name eight home grown players if they do not have that many but that would mean operating with a reduced squad.

The system will be simple enough to administer. Clubs will register their players via an online form which automatically flags up if they have named too many players who do not qualify as Home-Grown.


www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2094341,00.html
newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8858634.stm

[froggyranger]

I'm sure some club will fall foul of this rule, how many players do Man City have at the mo over 21?

[Macmoish]

Wonder what the penalties are for breaking the rule: Explusion from the Premiership? 20 pound fines?

[toboboly]

There isn't a penalty as such, as I understand it a team without the 8 "homegrown" has to name less than 25 players. As I also understand it unless a team is struck down with the plague only those 25 can play league games.

[Macmoish]

Guardian/David Hytner

England expects as Premier League gears up for a homegrown revolution

New rules that force clubs to play more youngsters should benefit the national team but some managers are not happy


It is in the soul-searching aftermath of an England failure at a major tournament that thoughts invariably turn towards the next generation, the young players who will one day, at long last, drive the nation to glory. The debate, however, can lead to further introspection. In the Premier League years, with clubs' squads bloated by overseas players, where is the opportunity for homegrown talent?

Things could be about to change or, at least, a step is to be taken in what is hoped will prove the right direction. As of this season, following Premier League legislation that has been some years in the making, clubs will be forced to include eight homegrown players in a senior squad of no more than 25.

Homegrown players are defined as those having been trained at a club or clubs in England or Wales for three years before the end of the season in which they became 21.

Homegrown players do not have to be English. Cesc Fábregas, for example, Arsenal's Spain midfielder, qualifies, having moved to north London as a 16-year-old. It ought to be pointed out, though, that of the 300 scholars currently at Premier League academies (the 16-18 age group) 245 are English.

Under the new legislation, clubs are also permitted to register and play an unlimited number of under-21s. The theory is that when injuries and suspensions bite in the senior squad, managers will have to turn to youth. It is expected that particularly over the second half of the season, substitute benches will be dotted with academy players.

If clubs cannot fill their quota of eight homegrown players, then their senior squads will be short. The champions Chelsea, for example, only have five homegrown players (John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Ross Turnbull and Michael Mancienne). As things stand, the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, will have to name a senior squad of 22 and opportunities will increase for his under-21s. That the players most likely to step up are Gaël Kakuta, Fabio Borini, Jeffrey Bruma and Patrick van Aanholt – in other words, overseas youngsters – is a moot point, and one reflected at other clubs. English players, though, must embrace the competition.

"We'll reflect on this regulation in five or 10 years' time and think it was exactly the right thing to do," said Huw Jennings, the Fulham academy director. "It's not just about the England team, although that is the focus after the World Cup, it's about young players, who are the long-term lifeblood of the game and it's about strengthening the Premier League. Young players should emerge on merit, not because of tokenism, but if we have fewer players in the squads it will create more opportunities."

It is hoped the new regulations will have pluses that go beyond the encouragement of homegrown and academy players and provide clubs with the incentive to continue investing in their youth-development programmes. They might also discourage them from stockpiling senior players and so offer an economic benefit.

"While the sporting factor of encouraging youth development was the main driver behind [the new regulations], it is anticipated that there will also be financial benefits in operating with a smaller pool of contracted players and a higher number of young players developed in England," said Mike Foster, the Premier League general secretary. "It is also hoped that a by-product of the new system will be a bigger pool of players for England to choose from."

But not everyone is convinced. "They mess about with everything, don't they?" said the Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp. "And what difference is it going to make? It's no different really. If the young players are good enough, they'll come through. And if you're having to play them just because they're young and English but they're not good enough, then the league won't improve. They've got to be good enough, wherever they're from.

"You might also get some kids who get in the 25 and then put their feet under the table and don't work on their game. You've got to deserve to be in there, rather than just having them for the sake of it, token players."

One of the principal arguments against the legislation is that it could leave players over the age of 21 out in the cold. If they are not named in the 25, they cannot play until squad changes are permitted in the next transfer window. The Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, has 32 senior players at his disposal – following the sale of Javier Garrido to Lazio today and he is under pressure to sell seven of them before the end of August.

"I am quite surprised the players' union accepted this rule as it could put many players out of a job," said the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger. "They want to fight against unemployment but they stop us employing footballers. There is no room to move [in the transfer market]. Is 25 enough, given the injuries? It is an artificial rule that I don't like."

"One of the worries," added Jennings, "is the premium that will be placed on the movement from club to club of players who qualify as homegrown. Their price will be driven up, there would be an inflated view of them and I don't think that is healthy."

Concerns have also been expressed about clubs effectively stockpiling their under-21 players to guard against selection crises, rather than loan them out to gain the first-team minutes that can be vital for their development at that stage. It is not always possible to insert instant recall clauses into loan deals.

Yet it ought not to be forgotten that it was the clubs who voted in the legislation at their September meeting of last year. "I've heard that the [club] owners are only interested in the product, but they sanctioned this," said Ged Roddy, the Premier League's director of academies. "They recognise that if we can develop our own players, then we have a much stronger product. We want to get more homegrown players into our first teams. The more we do, the more chance we have of an outstanding England team in the future. This is more than a half-step forward."

www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jul/30/premier-league-academy-homegrown-players