The Executive Board of the Malta Football Association approved major amendments to the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) for youth and amateur footballers on Monday, following discussions with the Malta Football Players Association (MFPA) initiated in 2020.
In an official statement, the MFPA hailed the new regulations as a significant step toward fairer opportunities and stronger protections.
“These changes represent a major breakthrough, validating the MFPA’s longstanding advocacy for fairer and more progressive regulations aimed at enhancing the rights and opportunities of youth and amateur players in Maltese football,” the statement added.
The MFPA explained that the revised regulations resulted from extensive discussions initiated five years ago within the Malta FA’s Social Dialogue Committee, which brings together key stakeholders from Maltese football.
“This progress was made possible thanks to the courage of two players who stood up for their rights by filing legal cases at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against their respective clubs, with the support of the MFPA and the FIFPRO Legal team,” the MFPA pointed out.
“Their determination and the legal expertise provided by FIFPRO helped shine a spotlight on systemic issues affecting youth and amateur players. Following the agreement on the revised regulations, these two cases will now be withdrawn, demonstrating the impact of solidarity, legal support, and constructive dialogue.”
The MFPA views these amendments as a vital step forward. Notably, reducing the obligatory registration period from four to two seasons for players aged 14 will increase playing opportunities for young athletes while mitigating the risk of abuse and financial exploitation.
Importantly, the revised regulations will apply retrospectively, meaning that players who have signed registration forms under the previous rules will also be affected by these changes. In such cases, players will need to sign updated registration forms in accordance with the new framework.
The MFA, in its statement, said that they presented the Player Registration Form for clubs ahead of the upcoming season. This form will be generated through the COMET system (an online platform used by member clubs) to address abuses that were occurring during the player registration process for the following season.
“The system will generate both a date and a unique sequential number on each form. This will serve as evidence of when the form was generated through the COMET system. According to the Malta FA regulations (Section IV – Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players), any player registration with the same club must take place after the current season has concluded, and not before,” the MFA explained.
The Malta FA also informed that any forms that may have been completed before the end of the current season will not be accepted, as they do not comply with the rule stating that player registration with the same club must occur only after the season has ended.
These changes aim to address the shortcomings that existed in the previous procedure and promote greater transparency and accountability in the way players—particularly minors—are registered.
“The Malta FA remains committed to continuing to reform its internal processes through dialogue with its members, in the best interests of the game and all those who manage and play it,” the local football governing body said.
Dr. Anthony Galea, President of the MFPA, stated: “This is an important day for the MFPA, youth players, and Maltese football in general. The amended regulations approved during the last meeting of the Executive Board of the Malta Football Association bode well for our future.
“This development creates a positive environment for our young footballers to thrive and progress in their careers. We also hope that this is the initial step towards strengthening our nurseries by supporting them to become more professional and achieving further improvements for Maltese football.”
Carlo Mamo, the MFPA General Secretary, added: “Grassroots, youth, and amateur players have always been a priority for the MFPA. The aim behind these amendments is to increase their playing opportunities, which will benefit not only the players but potentially clubs that have faced challenges in fielding teams and competing in all categories.
“The main objective is to enable young footballers to play more and reduce drop-out rates, as data shows that, in certain age groups, many players are stopping playing football.
“On behalf of the MFPA, we sincerely thank the media for raising awareness in recent months, researchers, the Malta FA, the FIFPRO legal team, the courageous players and their families who took legal action, and the majority of clubs that continue to invest in youth nurseries, providing young players with valuable training and development opportunities.”
“Unfortunately, the previous system favored a few who abused it, disadvantaging the majority of clubs that operated appropriately. Therefore, these amendments will benefit not only our members but football as a whole.”
Key amendments:
Registration Period
- Reduced from 4 to 2 seasons for players aged 14 and older (covering age groups 14–16 and 16–18).
Commencement of Registration
- Players registering with the same club can only do so after the end of the season. A new registration form with a unique code will be introduced as from the 9th of June 2025.
Professional Contract for Amateur Players
- Amateur players who are at least 18 years old and are offered a professional contract during their registration period may transfer to a new club during the summer transfer window. If applicable, training compensation must be paid to their former club(s), but no other conditions apply.
Revision of Squad Lists
- A maximum of fifty (50) players who have attained the age of twelve (12) up to and including those participating in the U15 category may be listed.
- U17 teams may list a maximum of 25 amateur players.
- For players aged 17 and above, the maximum is 40 amateur players, unless the club does not participate in the Youth League in which case the limit is 25.
- All players who are not on the list are free to leave without any condition.
