2025-04 – EC 2025-03 – Maximum number of foreign players on teams

Preamble

Topic: Maximum number of foreign players on teams

Proposal: It is proposed amend section 2.3.10(b) of the Handbook to return to the previous rules regarding foreign players (maximum two foreign players on the score sheet for every game)

Background:

It is critical to return to the previous condition: a maximum two foreign players to the score sheet for every game, instead of two playing at the same time in the specific game. In other words, a club may enrol as many foreigners as they want. In every single tournament they can use as many foreigners as they want. However, on the score sheet of every single game they can include only a maximum of two foreigners. If two foreign players are listed for the game, they can play simultaneously.

As it is this season it is helping a lot the “big” and “rich” teams, as they can enrol maybe three or even four players in one single game.  By this rule it’s very easy for many foreign players to search for a “foreign” club. Smaller clubs and countries are having problems finding players. It can lead to the extinction of many clubs and at the same time the creation of super huge multinational clubs. And in my opinion, it’s a step in the wrong direction. We need to invest our efforts in having more clubs instead of superclubs.

Resolution 3e1 to the 2024 Congress set out two options to amend the Official Handbook to limit the maximum number of foreign players on a team. The majority of MNAs (15 out of 22 votes) supported placing one or other of the options, while 7 MNAs abstained.  While Sports Director Chris Angelinas‘s option (Option 1) received more of the cast votes than the ECSTFA option (Option 2) – 9 votes to 6 – it only received 60% of the cast votes, which was just short of the 66.67% required.

Given this situation, a further vote by MNAs will now take place on whether to adopt Chris’s proposed option. This will be a simple agree/disagree vote.

Voting

EC 2025-04 – Maximum number of foreign players on teams

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As per the FISTF Statutes, a majority vote of 50.01% is needed to carry this resolution.
Abstention is not a cast vote (it was voted but will not be considered in the final results)