The FIFA Disciplinary Code explained for future agents

A red card, a match lost by forfeit, a club banned from registering players, an agent banned from any football activity: behind every FIFA sanction stands one text, the Disciplinary Code. You will meet it in the exam, and later in your career, because licensed agents are bound by it just like players. Here is what matters, article by article, in the January 2027 edition.

Who the Code applies to

The January 2027 edition was approved by the Bureau of the FIFA Council on 10 June 2026 and comes into force on 1 January 2027 (art. 76). The January 2026 study materials contained the September 2025 edition; the 2027 study materials, not yet published, will tell which one the next exam uses.

The Code applies to member associations, clubs, officials, players, match officials and, explicitly, to football agents licensed by FIFA (art. 3). Three principles frame it:

• infringements are punishable whether committed deliberately or negligently, and attempt, instigation and complicity are punishable too (art. 8);
• decisions taken by the referee on the pitch are final; only an obvious error, such as mistaken identity, allows FIFA's bodies to review their disciplinary consequences (art. 9);
• breaches of the Football Agent Regulations are sanctioned under those regulations and this Code (art. 23.2).

Disciplinary measures: who can receive what

Article 6 sorts measures by the person they target. Warnings, reprimands, fines, the return of awards and the withdrawal of a title apply to natural and legal persons (art. 6.1). Suspensions, bans on football-related activity and the suspension or withdrawal of a football agent licence apply to natural persons only (art. 6.2). Registration bans, matches without spectators, point deductions, relegation or forfeits apply to legal persons only (art. 6.3).

Fines generally range from USD 100 to USD 1,000,000, although specific provisions can go beyond (art. 6.4).

Integrity offences that end careers

Match manipulation is punished with a ban of at least five years from any football-related activity and a fine of at least USD 100,000, up to a lifetime ban in serious cases (art. 20.1). Failing to report an approach linked to manipulation costs at least two years and USD 15,000 (art. 20.3). For an agent, the lesson is simple: report immediately, in writing, any approach of that kind.

Article 21: when a decision is not respected

This is FIFA's tool to enforce its decisions, and the article that speaks most to agents. Anyone who fails to pay a sum ordered by a FIFA body or by CAS can be fined and given a final deadline to pay (art. 21.1 a and b). The annexe to the Code gives, as a guide, a final deadline of 30 days.

• A club still in default then faces a ban on registering new players until full payment (art. 21.1 d).
• A natural person, an agent for instance, faces a ban on any football-related activity and/or a suspension of the licence (art. 21.1 f).
• An interest rate of 18% a year may be ordered when the case follows a CAS appeal against a FIFA financial decision (art. 21.1 c).
• Proceedings only start at the request of the creditor or another affected party (art. 21.2).

It extends the non-payment consequences decided by the Football Tribunal, explained in The FIFA Football Tribunal: chambers, deadlines and procedure.

Limitation, recidivism, probation, forfeit

Here come the figures exam questions love. Prosecution is time-barred after two years for infringements during a match, ten years for doping, international transfers of minors and match manipulation, and five years for everything else (art. 10.1). Do not confuse this with the limitation period to enforce a sanction: five years from the day the final decision comes into force (art. 24).

Recidivism is assessed over one year after a suspension of up to two matches, two years for order and security, ten years for match manipulation or corruption, and three years in all other cases (art. 26). A suspended sanction comes with a probation period of one to four years, and is excluded for match manipulation (art. 27). A forfeit counts as a 3-0 defeat in 11-a-side football, 5-0 in futsal and 10-0 in beach soccer, unless the score on the pitch was worse (art. 28).

Procedure before the Disciplinary Committee

• As a rule, decisions are taken on the file, without oral statements (art. 53.1), by a single judge or by simple majority (art. 54.1).
• Provisional measures last up to 90 days, exceptionally extended by 90 more, and can be appealed within three days (art. 51).
• Decisions are notified without grounds. The parties have ten days to request a motivated decision via the FIFA Legal Portal; otherwise the decision becomes final and they waive their right to appeal (art. 54.3).

Appeal, CAS and review

To appeal to the Appeal Committee, you announce your intention within three days of the notification of the grounds, then file the appeal brief within five days of the end of that first deadline, with an appeal fee of USD 1,000 (art. 60.3 to 60.6). Not everything can be appealed: warnings, reprimands, suspensions of up to two matches or two months, fines of up to USD 15,000 for a club or association and USD 7,500 in other cases, and decisions under article 21 are excluded (art. 61.1). An appeal has no suspensive effect, except for orders to pay (art. 65.1).

Next step: CAS, within 21 days of receiving the decision (art. 52 of the Code and art. 50 of the FIFA Statutes). A review can be requested within ten days of discovering new facts, and no later than one year after the decision became final (art. 71).

The figures of this text are perfect material for daily self-testing: see How to study for the FIFA agent exam and 5 multiple-choice traps.

Sources

• FIFA Disciplinary Code, January 2027 edition (PDF)
• FIFA Statutes, May 2024 edition (PDF)
• FIFA circular no. 1970 of 1 September 2026 (PDF)

Frequently asked questions