The turn of the year marked the end of the United Kingdom’s membership to the European Union and the introduction of new rules for the UK football market which restricts the signing of overseas players.
New rules agreed by the FA, Premier League, EFL and Government have come into force from 1st January 2021. Unlike previous years, players from the EU are no longer be automatically eligible to play in the UK. Instead, new entry criteria have been put in place for all overseas signings.
The major changes that Premier League and EFL clubs will have to deal with are:
• An inability to sign overseas players under the age of 18
• A new points-based system to assess a player’s eligibility
If a player obtains enough points through this system, they will able to apply for a Governing Body Endorsement or GBE, enabling them to play in the United Kingdom.
The six criteria used to assess a player’s eligibility are:
• International team ranking and appearances
• Domestic league banding and minutes
• Continental cup progression of current club
• Continental cup minutes
• Domestic league quality of current club
• Final domestic league position of current club
Whilst the new rules will restrict the recruitment of Premier League and EFL clubs, they will also present new opportunities to sign players from leagues known for producing talented players.
In light of these changes, Analytics FC, in collaboration with LCP, have taken the step to develop a GBE Points Calculator, directly integrated into our flagship TransferLab data scouting platform to help you determine player’s eligibility as you scout.
How Does Our Tool Work?
Using criteria outlined by the English Football Association, TransferLab users will be able to assess the eligibility status of overseas players instantly with each player’s GBE status displayed on their Player Profile:
Status types can be:
• Exempt: UK and Ireland nationals.
• Eligible: Players with 15+ points per the points system.
• Auto-Pass: Players who have played a high percentage of national team matches.
• Check Youth Criteria: 18-21-year-olds with 10-14 points may be eligible. Check youth criteria to decide eligibility or vote to endorse player.
• Can Appeal: Player 21 years or older with points total between 10-14. An appeal can be lodged to an “exceptions panel”.
• Ineligible: Players with fewer than 10 points or players younger than 18.
NB. Our analysis doesn’t currently take into account injury data or, for players under 21, any additional points from the youth criteria.
You can also incorporate a player’s eligibility status within your scouting parameters when you’re hunting for potential recruits. Just select the “GBE Status” drop-down menu in the dashboard and select the status you are looking for:
Once you are within a player’s profile, you can find a fuller breakdown of their eligibility status by selecting the GBE tab. You’ll be given a section by section overview of their status and the points they have accrued in each one:
As these are new rules recently announced by the FA, there will be edge cases and different interpretations. Therefore, our GBE Status feature should be used primarily as a guideline.
TransferLab API Connect
Analytics FC, powered by development partners LCP, supplies its entire TransferLab database and stats (including GBE status) directly to third parties through a dedicated API feed.
We provide advanced metrics to integrate into your current toolset.
In-depth and comprehensive access for club analysts to integrate into BI-tools such as Tableau and Power BI, or for third-party sports and technology platforms and websites to integrate directly into their applications.
Data is made available through standard API feed in JSON format.
We put the power of our algorithms straight into the hands of our clients.
Analytics FC provides software and data services to entities within football looking to realise the gains possible from analytical thinking. We provide cutting-edge software solutions such as TransferLab, which helps improve and simplify recruitment decisions. To find out more about TransferLab and our other data services, or to find out more about us, visit our website.
