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EFL announce regulation changes voted by clubs ahead of the 2023/24 season

EFL announce important regulation changes voted by clubs ahead of the 2023/24 season and it’s got plenty of people talking on social media.

New disqualification criteria were added to the owners and directors test. According to the league, 11 new conditions for disqualification will be added in order to align EFL and Premier League.

The updated rules include disqualifying individuals with convictions of violent crimes or fraud, as well as prohibiting state entities from owning property in sanctioned countries.

Another additional rule will see the banning or the use of towels by players, as well as the drying of the ball using objects provided by supporters.

STATEMENT

At today’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), EFL Clubs voted to approve several changes to the EFL Regulations that will come into effect immediately. These include:

OWNERS AND DIRECTORS’ TEST

New disqualifying conditions have been added to the Owners and Directors’ Test (OADT) to ensure that the EFL and Premier League’s tests remain aligned. The list of disqualifying conditions has been updated to include:

  • Disqualifying individuals who are subject to sanctions;
  • Prohibiting ownership by state entities from countries which are sanctioned;
  • Second (or further) bankruptcies/convictions/bans, even if expired or spent.
  • Convictions for violent offences;
  • Convictions for fraud of any kind;
  • Disqualification for wider corporate insolvencies;
  • Disqualifications by a wider range of Government bodies;
  • Having been removed as a trustee of a pension scheme by the Pensions’ Regulator or the Courts;
  • Expulsion of sporting clubs in other sports (eg. Rugby) as the League does for football clubs;
  • Expanding the period in which insolvency of a company/club counts against a director who has resigned from 30 days to one year; and
  • Reducing the definition of Control from 30% to 25%

The OADT has also been updated to treat anybody who is currently undergoing an investigation which may lead to a disqualifying condition, as being subject to a disqualifying condition until such time as they clear the allegations.

MULTIBALL / TOWELS 

The EFL will introduce a multiball system in all its competitions for the 2023/24 season. Match balls will be placed on cones in designated areas at pitch side to help increase the time of the ball being in play. Meanwhile, Clubs will no longer be permitted to use towels or other articles, including items obtained from spectators to dry footballs during matches.  

INSOLVENCY EVENTS

A new regulation (12.1) has come into effect which requires a Club to notify the League promptly once it becomes aware that it is considering, taking or suffering any Insolvency Event. The Club and any proposed Officeholders in any potential Insolvency Event will be required to meet with the League to ensure that the ongoing obligations of the Club can be met during the period of an Insolvency Event. The EFL has also updated its Insolvency Policy to amend the definition of an Insolvency Event in its Articles of Association to ensure the new concept of a ‘Restructuring Plan’ as referenced in the Corporate and Insolvency Governance Act 2020 is included.

FUTURE FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR LEAGUES ONE AND TWO

To better align with the Club Financial Reporting Unit’s reporting practices, Clubs in League One and League Two will now be required to submit their Future Financial Information (FFI) by 30 April rather than 31 March each year.

HMRC REPORTING

 The EFL has updated Regulation 17.1 to include all debts due to HMRC and now requires Clubs to report any defaults within two working days.  

30-DAY RULE

The non-payment of HMRC debt has been added as a trigger of Regulation 52.6, so Clubs who accumulate 30 days of late payments in a 12-month period will be unable to sign a player for a fee or any consideration for three full transfer windows. The amendment to the 30-Day Rule also provides for Clubs to self-report late payment of any debt covered by Regulation 52.6, plus a right of appeal for Clubs triggering the 30-Day Rule.

Fans had their say as the EFL announce regulation changes voted by clubs ahead of the 2023/24 season…

@neil81johnson: Any regulations to say the match officials will have any level of competence this season?

@richarddoxsey: Glad to see you’re sorting the really important stuff.

@Gardnerssss: No more towels ? What a strange rule. Soaking wet day might see a lot more foul throws. Likely due to time being taken

@JackMulhall92: I’ve seen about 3 foul throws awarded in about 20 years of watching football 🤣

@LancashireBant1: Ben tozer towel sales will have to be scrapped now. That will hit them hard 😂

@1981Carrie: Shame most of the changes to the O+D test only come into play for those who have already offended. Needs to be more focus on financial sustainability of clubs and the responsibilities and liabilities of the owner. They shouldn’t just be able to walk away

@harryt84: Football + Winter Sport = RAIN. Just because because you’ve got more balls, doesn’t alleviate the need to dry them 🤦🏼‍♂️

@itstompreston: You going to look into state owned @WBA??

@baggiedave70: So banning towels for throw ins on wet nights is really that important? Far more important things to change.

@tom_hext: Looking forward to the 1st incident where the ball on the cone also gets kicked away to waste time

@rossrobson: Towels. Yeah that will curb time wasting immediately. Bravo lads

@RichardLowe84: *Clubs* can’t use towels… @tozer_ben

@CovcityAussie:
What about time wasting?
In the 21/22 season the average ball in play was 48 minutes.
That means that the football fan is getting ripped off and it’s cheating.
Simple to comply: Stop the watch every time the ball is out of play.
Every other sport does it !
Why not Football?

@fuzz62: Shame you didn’t add any paragraph about if the EFL passes someone for the ODT the EFL is responsible for payment of outstanding debts occurred by the person who passed the ODT and the owner removed from the club. Could say like maybe a 2 year spell for this?

@sc22_1996: No towels allowed for throw-ins and multiball system to decrease time wasting. That’s 90% of League 1 teams in the mud then, thank the lord #BWFC

@JacobAn92630686: Banned using a towel to dry the ball for a throw in? What’s the point in that 😂

@millsytrfc: Get in, bad for Wrexham’s long throws 😂

@LoftforWords: Multi-ball and no towels. EFL just knocked about 70% off Darnell Furlong’s transfer value.

@almajir: Interesting to see how much the EFL are tightening up OADT and financial reporting regulations – it’s as if they are trying to stave off the need for an independent regulator.

@evansmatty98: Ben Tozer is going to be fucking livid 😧

@Bwfc12341: Multi ball 🤩 Telling me I may see more than 15 mins of football when Burton come to the Reebok?

@ItsSamson2: No Darnell Throwlong without a towel 🥲

@LukeChristy14: max power fuming after reading that multiballs / towels section

@cafc_daniel: Finally doing something about owners

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