FIFA has welcome a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling confirming the legality of its Football Agent Regulations ©PROFAA and FIFA

FIFA has welcomed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that confirms the legality, validity and proportionality of its Football Agent Regulations (FFAR), which the Professional Football Agents Association (PROFAA) attempted to block.

Football's global governing body stated that the regulations are a key development in its reform of the sport's transfer system.

The controls will see the implementation of a cap to agents' commissions from transfers, while exams are also due to be introduced to secure a licence.

The new rules are set to come into force on October 1 following their introduction in January.

The Football Agent Regulations will see a cap on the money agents can make from transfers and a tougher exam process to achieve qualifications ©FIFA
The Football Agent Regulations will see a cap on the money agents can make from transfers and a tougher exam process to achieve qualifications ©FIFA

"The award represents the first in-depth legal assessment of the legality of the FFAR by an independent panel of renowned experts," read a FIFA statement.

"The introduction of the FFAR follows a robust consultation period involving multiple stakeholders. 

"The award confirms FIFA's position that the FFAR are a reasonable and proportionate regulatory measure that help to resolve systemic failures in the player transfer system."

PROFAA claimed that the regulations violate competition and European Union laws, but CAS has dismissed the allegations in their entirety.

FIFA wants to limit agents to taking a maximum three per cent commission for any transfer of more than $200,000 (£154,000/€179,000) and five per cent for deals less than that figure.

There will also be a 10 per cent cap on earnings when agents act for the selling club. 

The Football Forum claimed the CAS ruling does not apply to its members and states that the regulations need to be ratified by the Court of Justice of the European Union ©TFF
The Football Forum claimed the CAS ruling does not apply to its members and states that the regulations need to be ratified by the Court of Justice of the European Union ©TFF

The new exams must be passed by October 1, following the first taken in April which saw just 52 per cent of the 3,800 candidates reaching the pass mark.

Multiple representation is also due to be banned to avoid conflicts of interest and payment of agent fees through FIFA's financial clearing house.

The Football Forum (TFF), an association of national football agent bodies, claims that the CAS ruling does not apply to its members. 

"TFF wishes to stress that the CAS arbitration was initiated following a specific agreement between PROFAA and FIFA and that the relevant award has no binding effect for agents around the world but is a matter between PROFAA (and its members) and FIFA," read a TFF statement.

The TFF claimed that the FFAR do not hold up in law and that individual State Courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union should be the ones to ratify the regulations.