In today's official announcement, our
soccer league
A new policy guideline for the 2022 professional league season has been announced, marking the implementation of a "three up, three down" competition pattern for the Chinese Super League and the Chinese League One.
This guide details key elements such as the size of the new professional league season, the promotion and relegation mechanism, the transfer window, player registration and appearance regulations, as well as financial constraint standards.
In the new season, both the Chinese Super League (CSL) and Chinese First Division (CFD) tournaments will be contested by 18 teams, while the CFD boasts 20 teams, including the U19 national men's soccer team. In terms of transfers, clubs in the Chinese Super League and Chinese League One have a limit on the number of foreign players registered during the two transfer windows.
It is worth noting that each game in the Super League, League One and League Two allows 11 starters and 12 substitutes to be registered and up to three substitutions can be made, with additional substitutions made at halftime.
soccer league
The official notice emphasized that in order to deepen the reform and development of the professional league and to improve the management level and competitive strength, the association has made provisions for the following policies after extensive consultation:
I. Scale of professional leagues
The 2022 season will feature 18 clubs in both the Premier League and the Chinese League A, while the Chinese League B will contain 20 teams.
II. Elevation and de-escalation policy
The Chinese Super League and the Chinese First Division have adopted the policy of "promotion from three to three and reduction from three", so do the Chinese First Division and the Chinese Second Division, while the Chinese Second Division and the Chinese Championship League have adopted the policy of "promotion from four to two and reduction from two".
III. Professional league transfer registration
In terms of domestic transfer registrations, there is a limit on the number of foreign players that can be registered by Chinese Super League and Chinese League One clubs during the two transfer windows.
(Portions are omitted here to maintain the complexity and explosiveness of the text. The following is the complete text)
(iv) Other provisions
For the player transfer registration work of the professional league in the 2022 season, professional clubs are requested to follow the requirements of the Notice of the Chinese Football Association on Matters Relating to the Player Transfer Registration Work of the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League One and the Chinese League Two Clubs in the 2022 Season of the Soccer Zi [2022] No. 91, the Notice of the Chinese Football Association on the Adjustment of the Time of the Registration of the Players' Domestic Transfers of the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League One and the Chinese League Two Clubs in the 2022 Season of the Soccer Zi [2022] No. 137. The requirements of the regulations shall be handled in accordance with the rules and regulations.
The registration and transfer methods for players from Hong Kong, Macao, SAR and Taiwan shall be implemented in accordance with the Notice of the Chinese Football Association on the Provisions Concerning the Participation of Players from Hong Kong, Macao, SAR and Taiwan in the 2018 Professional League No. 36 of the Soccer Zi [2018] and the Regulations on the Management of the Player Status and Transfer of the Chinese Football Association No. 649 of the Soccer Zi [2015].
IV. Registration and appearance policy
(i) Season registration requirements
For the Chinese Super League and the Chinese First Division, the number of first-time applicants for each club is between 18 and 35, with a cumulative total of no more than 45 for the year.
Among them, the maximum number of foreign players registered at the same time for each club in the Chinese Super League is five, and the maximum number of foreign players registered at the same time for each club in the Chinese First League is three.
First-time enrollment in the C.B. League is 18-35 players, with a cumulative total of no more than 40 players for the year.
(ii) Entry requirements and number of substitutions per match
In the Chinese Super League, Chinese First Division and Chinese Second Division, each team can register 11 starting players and 12 substitutes for each match, from which 5 can be replaced, with a maximum of 3 substitutions during the match, and additional substitutions can be made during the halftime break.
(iii) Foreign player enrollment and appearance requirements
In the 2022 season, each Chinese Super League club can register a maximum of five foreign players in the 23-man roster for each game, and a maximum of four foreign players on the field at the same time for each game.
In the 2022 season, each Central League club can register three foreign players on the 23-man roster for each match at the same time, and a maximum of two foreign players will be on the field at the same time for each match.
(iv) Registration of domestic youth players
1. U-23 players
There is no registration requirement for the number of U-23 players for the 2022 season in the Chinese Super League and Chinese League A. However, one U-23 player should be on the field at all times for each match.
Regarding the U-23 player reduction and compensation policy, the Chinese Football Association will issue a separate notice.
2. U-21 players
For the 2022 season of the Chinese Super League and the Chinese First League, each club's 35-man roster shall enroll at least three U-21 players who have been trained by the club's youth training (registered by the club and represented the club in matches for at least four years).
For the 2022 season of the C.B. League, clubs should enroll at least five U-21 players and five players from their region in their 35-man roster. At the same time, for each match, there shall be at least one U-21 player on the field at all times.
(v) Naturalized players
1. Naturalized players who meet the following conditions are 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, register as a domestic player.
With reference to the relevant provisions of the AFC, each Chinese Super League club can register a maximum of one domestic player, and more than one player will occupy the foreign aid registration quota for naturalized players who meet one of the following conditions. There is no registration and enrollment quota for this type of player for the Chinese League One and Chinese League Two clubs.
(1) Five years of naturalization;
(2) Be officially eligible to play on the national team.
3. If a naturalized player does not meet conditions 1 and 2, he or she will be registered as a domestic player, but will occupy the foreign player registration quota.
4. No changes may be made to the registration and enrollment status of the same naturalized player during the same season.
V. Suspension policy
(i) Chinese Super League and Chinese First League
Players of all Chinese Super League and Chinese League One clubs will be suspended for 1 match if they accumulate 4 yellow cards. Officials of each Chinese Super League and Chinese First Division club shall be banned from the bench for 1 match if they have accumulated 2 yellow cards.
(ii) League B
Players of each C.B. club who accumulate 3 yellow cards will be suspended for 1 game, and officials of each C.B. club who accumulate 2 yellow cards will be banned from the bench for 1 game.
(iii) Multiple registration status
If a natural person enrolls in two capacities in the same season (both as a player and as a bench official), that person's cumulative yellow card suspensions are enforced in accordance with the strictest of rules, i.e., regardless of the capacity in which the yellow card is shown, the two yellow card suspension is enforced as a standard.
VI. Financial engagement indicators
All Chinese Super League, Chinese League A and Chinese League B clubs shall strictly implement and fully implement the financial binding indicators in accordance with the requirements of the Circular of Soccer Word [2020] No. 289 on the Release of Financial Binding Indicators for Clubs of the Chinese Super League for the Season 2021-2023, the Circular of Soccer Word [2020] No. 290 on the Release of Financial Binding Indicators for Clubs of the Chinese League A for the Season 2021-2023, and the Circular of Soccer Word [2020] No. 291 on the Release of Financial Binding Indicators for Clubs of the Chinese League B for the Season 2021-2023. 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 policies related to professional leagues not mentioned in this notice will continue to be enforced in accordance with the original provisions.
Notice is hereby given.
China Football Association (CFA)
April 25, 2022
