This whole eligibility stuff has really got me interested in how the Statutes work and are applied. I have been doing quite a bit of research. I have been in contact with FIFA, and also a fantastic, and very patient, man named Yann Hafner.
Yann is from the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, and has been studying FIFA Rules for the past 7 years.
From my exchanges with him and reading various FIFA Statutes and circulars, I have come up with this step-by-step guide for player eligibility for national associations:
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1. Does he have permanent nationality not dependant on residence enabling him to play for the association (art 5.1)?
Yes - Go to 2
No - INELIGIBLE
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2. With the exception of conditions specified in art 8, has he played an international match (in part or full) in an official FIFA
competition of any type or category of football for another association (art
5.2)?
Yes - INELIGIBLE
No - Got to 3
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3. Has he acquired his nationality?
Yes - Go to 4
No - Go to 5
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4. Does he meet art 7 criteria? *See Note 1
Yes - Go to 5
No - INELIGIBLE
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5. Is his nationality a 'shared nationality'? *See Note 2
Yes - Go to 6
No - Go to 8
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6. Does he meet art 6.1 criteria? *See Note 3
Yes - Go to 8
No - Go to 7
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7. Does he meet art 6.1 criteria for any other association sharing his
nationality? *See Note 4
Yes – INELIGIBLE
No - Go to 8
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8. Has he played an international match in an official competition
for
another association?
Yes - Go to 9
No - ELIGIBLE
.
9. Does he meet art 8 criteria? *See Note 5
Yes - ELIGIBLE
No - INELIGIBLE
.
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Note 1: If a player does not meet art 7(d), FIFA may issue an
exemption if it is shown that he is not breaking the spirit of the rule. ie if
he moved to the association's territory for non-footballing reasons.
Yann Hafner said:
"national associations are allowed to request from the Player’s
Status Committee a dispensation of the stipulation contained in article 7,
ie living for 5 years in the relevant country after the age of 18. The waiver is granted on a case by case basis providing that the national association can prove the player arrived in its country at a relative young age and did most of its footballing education in a club under
its jurisdiction. This means that the player has usually lived 5 or more years on the territory of the national association."
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Note 2: New Zealand and Cook Islands is not recognised by FIFA as a 'shared nationality' despite both countries using a NZ passport, as Cook Islands have their own criteria in their constitution to define
Cook Island nationality. Therefore simply having a NZ passport does not necessarily entitle you to play for both NZ and Cook Islands.
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Note 3: In the case of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, art 6.1(d) is amended to read "He has engaged in a minimum of five years education under the age of 18 within the territory of the
relevant association." This alteration (Home Nation Agreement) was ratified by FIFA in 2010 under the clause in art 6.2.
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Note 4: Article 6 is intended as a Rule of Conflict, so if a player does
not meet any criteria of art 6.1 for all associations sharing the same
nationality, he may play for any of them.
Yann Hafner said:
"There are six cases of shared nationalities concerning 27 associations.
Article 6 is a rule of conflict. This is key. It aims at directing the player
towards the national federation they have the closest link with. Thus, if a
player does not meet any of the criteria of article 6 – there is no reason to
prevent him from playing with any of the association sharing the same
nationality. Indeed, he has the same ties with all of them."
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Note 5: If a player meets art 8 criteria, a written request must be sent to FIFA for their approval before being deemed eligible.