FA tightens Governing Body Endorsement rules for the 2026/27 season

The Football Association (FA) has published its Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria for the 2026/27 season, effective from 15 June 2026. There is more of an evolution than a revolution this year, the criteria is largely the same as last year, just with a bit more focus on compliance and the administration of the system.

A quick recap

A non-UK / Irish player needs a GBE before a club can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship and the player can work under the International Sportsperson route. There are four ways to secure one: an automatic pass based on international appearances measured against the player’s national team ranking; reaching 15 points under the points table; a referral to an Exceptions Panel; or, where the standard tests are not met, a GBE as an ESC player.

The ESC route was introduced to let clubs sign players who fall short of the standard criteria but are considered elite prospects, with each club holding a limited number of ESC places.

Lower age limit for ESC players

For 2026/27, a player can only be granted a GBE as an ESC player if they were born on or after 1 January 2003, which is effectively an under-23 cohort.

The ESC allocations have remained the same for next season, so four places for Premier League and Championship clubs, and two places for League One & Two clubs. As ever, your English Qualified Player (EQP) minutes determine whether your allocation goes up or down, knowing this data is key to effective use of the ESC route. Clubs can earn up to two additional places (up to the above mentioned thresholds) by developing English-qualified players who win senior or under-21 international recognition.

Once signed, an ESC player can transition to a standard GBE through game time, and the required share of minutes now depends on age. In the Premier League, an under-21 player must play 25% of the club’s qualifying matches and 15% of available minutes, while a player aged 21 or over must reach 30% of minutes. The thresholds rise steeply lower down the pyramid, to between 50% and 70% in the EFL.

Reshuffled league bandings

The GBE criteria groups domestic leagues into six bands, and the band a league sits in drives the points available for a player’s domestic league minutes, his last club’s final league position and the quality of his current club. The FA has reordered several leagues for 2026/27:

• The Brazilian Série A moves up from Band 3 to Band 2.
• The Turkish Süper Lig moves down from Band 2 to Band 3.
• The Japanese J1 League moves up from Band 5 to Band 4.
• The Slovenian PrvaLiga drops out of Band 5 and into Band 6.

The effect is that an identical playing record is now worth more or less depending on where it was earned. A player arriving from the Brazilian top flight will score better than he would have last season, while one coming from the Turkish top flight will score worse. Clubs scouting these markets should re-run the points calculation under the new bands before committing to a deal.

A new paragraph 6 on extensions and transfers

The 2026/27 criteria insert a new paragraph 6 dealing with extensions and transfers of an existing GBE. An application to extend or transfer a GBE can now only be made under the same role under which the individual was originally endorsed. If the individual is moving into a different role, for example a development coach who becomes a first team coach, they must satisfy the full criteria for that role from scratch rather than carry across their existing endorsement. It removes any assumption that an endorsement travels with the individual regardless of how their role changes.

No second attempt under different criteria after a rejection

The FA has also closed off a route that some clubs had used to get a second bite. Previously, if a player was refused a GBE, the club could not reapply for that player in the same transfer window unless his circumstances changed. The new wording adds three important words, “under any GBE Criteria”, so a refusal now blocks any further application for that player in the window, including an attempt under a different set of criteria such as the ESC route. In other words, a club can no longer fail the standard test and then pivot to ESC for the same player mid-window. Getting the application right first time matters more than ever.

Costs and next steps

The administration fee remains £500 plus VAT per application, and an Exceptions Panel costs £5,000 plus VAT.

These changes are far from radical, however there are some procedural changes which could catch clubs out if they are not aware of the changes. Clubs should also remember the practical deadline: applications must reach the FA by midday on transfer deadline day to be processed that day, so leaving recruitment late carries real risk.

Our immigration team advises clubs, players and agents on GBE applications and the International Sportsperson route. If you would like to discuss how the new criteria affect your plans, please get in touch.​​​​