2022 Chinese Super League Central League big changes! No cap on player transfers, new rules on promotion and relegation coming!

Today, China's soccer association officially released a heavy notice - on the 2022 season professional league related policies notice, announced that the 2022 season in the Chinese super league and the Chinese A League will implement the policy of "promotion 3 down 3". ! [2022 season professional league related policies](https://www.ballti.com/UploadFiles/163img/20220427/2022044256272125027072835.png) In the notice, the FA elaborated on the policies of the 2022 season, including the league scale, promotion and relegation rules, transfer window, player registration and appearance regulations, suspension policy and financial constraint indicators. It is reported that in the 2022 season, the Chinese Super League and the Chinese League A will maintain the scale of 18 teams, and implement the policy of "promotion 3, relegation 3". The China B League will contain 20 teams, including the U19 national men's soccer team. In addition, the Chinese Super League and the Chinese League A will each have two transfer windows, and there is a limit to the number of foreign players that each club can register in the first transfer window. In terms of substitutions, each team in the Chinese Super League, Chinese League A and Chinese League B can register 11 starting players and 12 substitutes for each match, from which they can replace five, with a maximum of three substitutions performed during the match, and additional substitutions can be performed during the halftime break. Below are the details of the official notice from the FA: **I. Scale of the professional league** The scale of the 2022 season is 18 clubs for the Chinese Super League and 18 clubs for the Chinese First League. The size of the China B League will be 20 teams (including the U-19 national men's soccer team). **II. Elevation and relegation policy** In the 2022 season, the Chinese Super League and the Chinese A League will implement the policy of "promotion 3 and relegation 3", i.e. the 16th, 17th and 18th in the Chinese Super League will be directly relegated to the Chinese A League, and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Chinese A League will be directly promoted to the Chinese Super League. The policy of "promotion 3, relegation 3" was implemented for the Central League A and the Central League B, while the policy of "promotion 4, relegation 2" was implemented for the Central League B and the Central Championship. **III. Transfer Registration for Professional League** (i) Domestic transfer registration 1. Chinese Super League and Chinese First Division clubs First transfer window: March 15 to April 29, 2022 Second transfer window: August 1 to August 31, 2022 (tentative) 2. China B clubs First transfer window: March 29 to May 6, 2022 Second transfer window: August 1 to August 31, 2022 (tentative) (ii) Foreign-Registered Transfers The processing time for the registration of foreign-related transfers of Chinese Super League, Chinese First Division and Chinese Second Division clubs shall be subject to the processing time for the registration of domestic transfers of Chinese Super League and Chinese First Division clubs. Among them, the first transfer window processing time is from March 15, 2022 to April 15, 2022. (III) Transfer quota 1. Domestic players There is no quota restriction for new transfers of domestic players from each Chinese Super League, Chinese League One and Chinese League Two club. 2.Foreign players In the first transfer window, each Chinese Super League club may register no more than 6 foreign players, and each Chinese League 1 club may register no more than 3 foreign players. In the first and second transfer windows, the total number of foreign players that can be registered by each Chinese Super League club shall not exceed 7, and the total number of foreign players that can be registered by each Chinese First Division club shall not exceed 4. (IV) Other Provisions For the transfer registration work of the players of the professional league in the 2022 season, professional clubs are requested to follow the requirements of the Notice on Matters Relating to the Transfer Registration Work of the Players of the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League A and the Chinese League B Clubs in the 2022 Season of the Soccer Character 〔2022〕 No. 91, the Notice on the Adjustment of the Processing Time for the Registration of the Players' Domestic Transfers of the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League A and the Chinese League B Clubs in the 2022 Season of the Soccer Character 〔2022〕 No. 137 to comply with the regulations. Processing. The registration and transfer methods for players from Hong Kong, Macao, SAR and Taiwan shall be carried out in accordance with the Notice on the Relevant Provisions on the Participation of Players from Hong Kong, Macao, SAR and Taiwan in the 2018 Professional League under Soccer Zi [2018] No. 36 and the Regulations on the Management of Player Identity and Transfer under the Chinese Football Association under Soccer Zi [2015] No. 649. **IV. Enrollment and Appearance Policies** (i) Season Enrollment Requirements For the Chinese Super League and the Chinese League A, the number of first-time enrollment for each club is from 18 to 35, and the total number of enrollment for the whole year is not more than 45. In the Chinese Super League, each club shall enroll a maximum of 5 foreign players at the same time, and in the Chinese A League, each club shall enroll a maximum of 3 foreign players at the same time. The number of first-time applicants for the Central B League is 18-35, and the total number of applicants for the whole year shall not exceed 40. (ii) Registration requirements and number of substitutions per match In the Chinese Super League, Chinese League A and Chinese League B, each team can register 11 players for the first start and 12 substitutes for each match, from which 5 players can be replaced, and the maximum number of substitution procedures can be carried out 3 times during the match, and additional substitutions can be carried out during the halftime break. (iii) Requirements for registration and appearance of foreign players In the 2022 season, each Chinese Super League club can enroll up to 5 foreign players in the 23-man list for each match, and play up to 4 foreign players in each match. in the 2022 season, each Chinese First Division club can enroll 3 foreign players in the 23-man list for each match, and play up to 2 foreign players in each match. (iv) Registration of domestic youth players 1.U-23 players There is no requirement for the number of U-23 players to register for the 2022 season in the Chinese Super League and the Chinese League A. However, for each match, there should be one U-23 player on the field at all times. Regarding the reduction and compensation policy for U-23 players, the Chinese Football Association will issue a separate notice. 2.U-21 players In the 2022 season of the Chinese Super League and the Chinese First League, each club shall enroll at least 3 U-21 players who have been trained by the youth training of the club (registered in the club and represented the club in the game for at least 4 years) in the 35-player list of the club.In the 2022 season of the Chinese Second League, each club shall enroll at least 5 U-21 players and 5 players from the region in the 35-player list of the club. At the same time, for each match, there shall be at least 1 U-21 player on the field at all times. (v) Naturalized players 1. Naturalized players who meet the following conditions shall be enrolled as domestic players: (1) The player himself was born in the jurisdiction of the Chinese Football Association; (2) The player's biological father or biological mother was born in the area under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Football Association; (3) The player's biological (external) grandfather or biological (external) grandmother was born in the area under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Football Association. 2. If a naturalized player does not meet Condition 1, he/she will be registered as a domestic player. With reference to the relevant provisions of the AFC, for naturalized players who meet one of the following conditions, each Chinese Super League club can register a maximum of one person as a domestic player, and more than one person will take up the quota for registration of foreign players. There is no registration and enrollment quota for this type of player for the Chinese League One and Chinese League Two clubs. (1) Naturalized for 5 years; (2) Qualified for official national team matches. 3. If the naturalized player does not meet conditions 1 and 2, he/she will be registered as a domestic player, but occupies the foreigner registration quota. 4. In the same season, the registration and enrollment status of the same naturalized player shall not be changed. **V. Suspension Policy** (I) Chinese Super League and Chinese First League Players of each Chinese Super League and Chinese League One club shall be suspended for 1 match if they accumulate 4 yellow cards. Officials of each Chinese Super League and Chinese League One club shall be banned from the bench for 1 match if they accumulate 2 yellow cards. (ii) China B League Players of all Chinese B clubs shall be suspended for 1 match if they have accumulated 3 yellow cards, and officials of all Chinese B clubs shall be prohibited from entering the bench for 1 match if they have accumulated 2 yellow cards. (iii) Multiple Registration Status If a natural person enrolls in two identities in the same season (enrolls as both a player and a bench official), the yellow card accumulation suspension of that person will be enforced in accordance with the strict implementation, i.e., no matter in what capacity the person is shown a yellow card, it will be enforced in accordance with the criterion of two yellow card suspensions. **VI. Financial Engagement Indicators** Each Chinese Super League, Chinese League A and Chinese League B club shall, in accordance with the Notice of Football Word [2020] No. 289 on the Release of Financial Engagement Indicators of Chinese Super League Clubs for the 2021-2023 Season, the Notice of Football Word [2020] No. 290 on the Release of Financial Engagement Indicators of Chinese League A Clubs for the 2021-2023 Season, and the Notice of Football Word [2020] No. 291 on the Release of Financial Engagement Indicators of Chinese League B Clubs for the 2021-2023 Season. The requirements of the Circular on the Financial Engagement Indicators of the Clubs in the Middle B League for the 2021-2023 Season shall be strictly implemented and the financial binding indicators shall be fully realized. **VII. Other Policies** Other relevant policies of the professional league not mentioned in this Circular shall continue to be implemented in accordance with the original provisions. Notice is hereby given. China Football Association April 25, 2022