FIFA is making new adjustments to the current Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players to better protect the interests of the players. One eye-catching change is that if a player does not get paid for two months, he/she has the right to terminate the contract and join another team.

No more red tape for players

Players in Brazil and Argentina are often victims of back pay. /VCG Photo

The adjustment will come into effect starting June 1 at the global level. Based on its decision at the conference in March in Bogota, Columbia, FIFA announced that if a club unlawfully fails to pay a player two monthly salaries on their due dates, he/she is deemed to have the just cause to terminate his or her contract. If a player is not paid on a monthly basis, the pro-rata value corresponding to two months of salaries shall also be considered.

Besides, the player in such a case does not need to take the dispute to any arbitration body or disciplinary commission. The football associations he/she belongs to must announce without condition that the player is a free agent with the right to terminate his/her contract and join other clubs. The club that unlawfully fails to pay the player has to be punished correspondingly by the football association it belongs to.

It's also good news for Chinese players

Chinese players, especially those from lower-level leagues, often get their pay delayed. /VCG Photo

Back pay is a severe problem in China's football sector, especially for players from lower-level leagues. Many clubs in China pay their players bonuses on time but delay the salaries. In response, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced at the end of 2016 that if a player does not get pay for at least one day, he/she can apply to the CFA to become a free agent. The policy seems aggressive enough but not practical.

As FIFA made its latest adjustments to relevant regulations, Chinese players will have better chances to protect their interests. Once a player does not get paid for two months, he/she can apply to the CFA to terminate his/her contract and join another club. Meanwhile, the player can also ask the CFA to help claim the salaries and bonuses his/her club delays.

FIFA is also preparing to add another transfer window to the player market (currently there are two transfer windows) for players to have more flexible options of which club they can play for.