Re: Tier 3 Registration Periods

Imortant communication

Please accept this letter as formal advanced notice that with the agreement of the Football Association of Wales (“FAW”) National League Board (“NLB”), all four Tier 3 Leagues will be subject to the Professional Registration Periods with regards to the registration of Players from the 2021-2022 Season onwards.

This change will be irrespective of the status of the Players in the League at the time. We trust that the provision of this advanced notice will provide clubs with sufficient time to prepare for that eventuality.

In the meantime, as matters stand each of the four Tier 3 Leagues are amateur competitions without any Professional Players registered to any of the Clubs in the Leagues. Therefore, each League will commence the 2020-21 Season as being subject to the Amateur Registration Period. However, consistent with a previous decision of the FAW National Game Board communicated to clubs last season, please be advised that the position of any of the four leagues may change during the 2020-21 Season.

Please note that should a Professional Player register for a Tier 3 Club, either permanently or on loan, at any time during the 2020-21 Season, then the Tier 3 League that club participates in shall immediately become subject to the Professional Registration Period.

Should this occur at any time during the 2020-21 Season, the FAW Player Registrations Department will endeavour to issue a communication to the effected clubs and League(s) concerned.

For clarity, each of the four Tier 3 Leagues will be treated separately in this respect. For example, should a Professional Player register for a Club in the North West League, then the North West League only will be affected and become subject to the Professional Registration Period immediately.

In such case the remaining three Tier 3 Leagues would not be affected unless a Professional Player registered in one of those Leagues.

Any Tier 3 Club with a Youth team participating in the Welsh Premier Development League is reminded that that League is a Professional Competition and therefore any Player you require to participate in that League must have been registered during the Professional Registration Periods.

Dates for the 2020-21 Amateur Registration Period and Professional Registration Periods have already been communicated to Clubs via letter from this department dated 17th July 2020.

It is encouraged that where possible Tier 3 Clubs should make use of the time the Professional Registration Periods are open and aim to register sufficient players during this period. This will ensure the Club is prepared should a short notice change to the Professional / Amateur Status of the League need to be made during the 2020-21 Season.