So often we hear that a player has signed on an 'emergency loan', when there seems to be no emergency at all. In reality, they are short term loans for between four weeks and three months. To understand them needs a careful reading of the Football League's rules regarding players' contracts, and how a team can bring players in (or send players out) during the season.
Full contract
Perhaps best to first undertand a full contact. This is for players over the age of 17, and will be a contract to 30th June in any year. Any renegotiated contract with increased remuneration has to be for at least one more year than the current contract. So once a club has signed a player under contract, he is at that the club until the end of the season, or any season thereafer.
The Transfer Windows
Players can only be signed on a full contract or on a standard loan during the football transfer windows. In the Football League, these are from the end of one season to midnight on 31 August, and then midnight on 31 December to 31 January.
Standard Loan
A standard loan can be for either a half or full season, and must be to the time when either of the transfer windows reopens, so are either to 31 December, or to the end of the season. Only a season long loan can be recalled by the club, and only in the January transfer window. A club can have a maximum of four loan players under the age of 23 and four over 23s in the season. No more than two over 23s can join one club from another in a season.
Emergency Loan
In reality, these are just short term loans of four weeks to three months. They are permitted during the Transfer Windows, and then again from seven days after the Transfer Window has closed until the fourth Thursday in November, so from 7 September 2011 to 25 November 2011 this season. In the second half of the season emergency loans can be made from 7 January 2012 to the fourth Thursday in March (the 22nd March). Emergency loans must be between 28 days and 93 days long, and recalls are only allowed after 28 days.
Youth Loan
These are basically the same as Emergency Loans, except the youth player must continue to be in the programme of education put in place for him. The 93 day maximum loan period does not apply, but the loan cannot be beyond the player's 21st birthday.
Emergency Loan of Goalkeeper
This is perhaps the understandable Emergency. Where all professional goalkeepers are certified unfit or are suspended, an emergency goalkeeper can be signed for seven days, renewable every seven days (again the other 'keepers must be certified unfit), subject to a maximum of 93 days for any one goalkeeper.
Loan players on the team sheet
A maximum of five loan players (standard, emergency or youth), excluding emergency goalkeepers can be named on a team sheet.
Loans from one club to another
A maximum of four loan players (standard, emergency or youth) may join one club from another, but one additional youth player can be loaned.
That is about as much as is digestible, without delving into the realm of non-contract players.
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