Premier League Foreign Player Rule

[TomCampbe11]

Hi all...

I'm in 2030 on my save. Already managed in Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the Netherlands... finally moving to England. I've arrived to a rule in the Premier League:
'Teams can sign no more than six foreign Under-21 players from abroad in a season.' (see attached)

Has anyone had much experience of this rule that can help answer a few questions? There's a real lack of clarity on a lot of rules since they changed the way they're listed a few editions of the game ago. I've also asked 'FM Twitter' and done a bit of a Google search. I even looked through the Editor and purchased the real time editor, just to check!

Few questions:

• Are ‘21’ year olds included? Or is it ‘20 years old and 364 days and under’
• Is there an ‘U21 on or before *insert date here*’ date?
• Do 'approach to signs'/free agents count towards this? Or is it purely buying a player from another club?
• As it’s "from abroad"… can I sign unlimited amounts of foreign U21 players from clubs in the UK/England?
• This rule only applies in the Prem. Championship and below has no restrictions. So is this even a Brexit/EU rule?
• What is classed as  ‘foreign’? EU? Outside of the EU? Other international continents?
• Where do 'Ireland' sit in all of this? Classed as non-foreign?

Any advice/answers welcome! Seems a really strict 'blanket' rule.

Thanks all!

[TomCampbe11]

A few more questions on this, too...

- What is classed as 'in a season'? KO of the 1st game to the full time whistle of the last game?
- Is there a place to check the 'quota' on how many have signed already?

I think this really leads to a larger scale issue on rule clarity across the league's. Something to hopefully be enhanced in FM23.

[rusty217]

• Are ‘21’ year olds included? Or is it ‘20 years old and 364 days and under’
• Is there an ‘U21 on or before *insert date here*’ date?

21 year olds most likely are included. They typically are for U21 things. I believe England uses 1st January as the on or before date. I'm not sure which year of the season it uses though.

• Do 'approach to signs'/free agents count towards this? Or is it purely buying a player from another club?

Yes, they do. Any signings count towards it.

• As it’s "from abroad"… can I sign unlimited amounts of foreign U21 players from clubs in the UK/England?

Yes, you can.

• This rule only applies in the Prem. Championship and below has no restrictions. So is this even a Brexit/EU rule?

It may be part of a FIFA rule actually. Not 100% sure but I know they have tried to limit the movement of youth players in recent years. That it's foreign and not specifically to do with the EU would suggest it's not specifically due to Brexit though, it would probably be a limit of non-EU players if the UK were still in the EU but the limit would likely still exist.

• What is classed as  ‘foreign’? EU? Outside of the EU? Other international continents?
• Where do 'Ireland' sit in all of this? Classed as non-foreign?

Scroll down a bit on the rules page and there's a "Nations Treated As Non-Foreign section. If it's in there it's not foreign. I believe it only includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland though (maybe Gibraltar and the British Caribbean islands too?). So all other nations, included the Republic of Ireland would be classed as foreign.

- What is classed as 'in a season'? KO of the 1st game to the full time whistle of the last game?

When the league table is reset to all teams having 0pts again, that's the start of the new season and end of the last one.

- Is there a place to check the 'quota' on how many have signed already?

I believe it should tell you how many you're at if you try and make an offer for another. Haven't tested it, but that's how it works for signing non-EU players in Italy at least so I'd assume the same is true here.

Edited April 4, 2022 by rusty217

[cris182]

If a player is 21 and 1 day he doesn't count, If he is 20 and 354 he does count, So you can sign a 21 year old and be ok

[TomCampbe11]

On 04/04/2022 at 18:40, rusty217 said:

• Are ‘21’ year olds included? Or is it ‘20 years old and 364 days and under’
• Is there an ‘U21 on or before *insert date here*’ date?

21 year olds most likely are included. They typically are for U21 things. I believe England uses 1st January as the on or before date. I'm not sure which year of the season it uses though.

• Do 'approach to signs'/free agents count towards this? Or is it purely buying a player from another club?

Yes, they do. Any signings count towards it.

• As it’s "from abroad"… can I sign unlimited amounts of foreign U21 players from clubs in the UK/England?

Yes, you can.

• This rule only applies in the Prem. Championship and below has no restrictions. So is this even a Brexit/EU rule?

It may be part of a FIFA rule actually. Not 100% sure but I know they have tried to limit the movement of youth players in recent years. That it's foreign and not specifically to do with the EU would suggest it's not specifically due to Brexit though, it would probably be a limit of non-EU players if the UK were still in the EU but the limit would likely still exist.

• What is classed as  ‘foreign’? EU? Outside of the EU? Other international continents?
• Where do 'Ireland' sit in all of this? Classed as non-foreign?

Scroll down a bit on the rules page and there's a "Nations Treated As Non-Foreign section. If it's in there it's not foreign. I believe it only includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland though (maybe Gibraltar and the British Caribbean islands too?). So all other nations, included the Republic of Ireland would be classed as foreign.

- What is classed as 'in a season'? KO of the 1st game to the full time whistle of the last game?

When the league table is reset to all teams having 0pts again, that's the start of the new season and end of the last one.

- Is there a place to check the 'quota' on how many have signed already?

I believe it should tell you how many you're at if you try and make an offer for another. Haven't tested it, but that's how it works for signing non-EU players in Italy at least so I'd assume the same is true here.

 

This is a huge help, thank you!!!