FIFA moves to control domestic transfers

Football world governing body, FIFA, yesterday launched a new Premium Service, the first Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS), designed to facilitate domestic transfers for member associations and clubs acting in the same jurisdiction.

DTMS is an online platform modelled on ITMS (International Transfer Matching System), which is provided to over 200 member associations and 6,500 clubs for cross-border player transfers.

DTMS is fully integrated with ITMS with a single sign-on so that both the member association and its clubs can manage all of their domestic and international transfers in the same place. It will help MAs to improve their transfers management, data management and governance by building on the existing ITMS service already in use by the MA.

FIFA TMS developed the new system following feedback from numerous MAs and clubs expressing the need for a domestic transfer system based on ITMS.

This is another plus for regulation issues on players and transfers after the world body successively implemented the biometric player registration which has cut down on the incidence of double player registration and multiple date of births of players. --FIFA

The key benefits of DTMS include:

• Increased adherence to MA’s transfer regulations with system-based processes and data-driven analysis

• Increased involvement of the MA in the transfer review and approval process (link a transfer to an intermediary, transfer compensation, matching and payment validation)

• Efficient management of transfers

• Speedy and efficient communication and approval via an online system

• Automated matching of transfer data

• Fast-track creation of counter instructions

Effective data management

• Official documents stored online, minimising physical document storage and search efforts

• Complete picture of all professional player transfers with potential to replicate automatically to a national registration system

• Improved statistics/reporting capabilities