The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has confirmed the introduction of ‘Work Experience Player’ registration opportunities for clubs in the JD Cymru Leagues ahead of the 2025/26 season.
At this season’s FAW Annual General Meeting, members voted in favour of introducing rule 69(B) to the FAW Rules:
Those Clubs whose senior team competes in the Cymru Premier, Cymru North, Cymru South, or Ardal Leagues shall be permitted to take a Work Experience Player from a Member Club in membership of the English Premier League and/or the English Football League on Work Experience subject to the applicable league rules and the following provisions.
A Work Experience Player is a Professional Player registered under a scholarship agreement for a Club in membership of the English Premier League and/or the English Football League. Work Experience Players are in Academic Year 12 and 13 and therefore aged between 16-18. Once a Player is in Academic Year 14, they are too old for Work Experience as they can sign a professional contract and be transferred on a standard loan instead.
Rule 69 (B) allows JD Cymru Leagues clubs to register Work Experience Players from the four Welsh EFL Clubs – Cardiff City FC, Newport County AFC, Swansea City AFC and Wrexham AFC – for a maximum of 90 days. This does not have to be continuous but can only be over two periods. For example, this could be two periods of 45 days, or a period of 30 and 60 days. Work Experience Players can be registered at any time up until the last Thursday in March.
A scholar can only go on Work Experience to one Club during a season and a Club may register a maximum of two Work Experience Players during a season. Work Experience players cannot participate in European competition.
Clubs cannot register a Player from another Cymru Leagues Club on Work Experience because domestically a 16-year-old can sign a professional contract so is able to be transferred on a standard loan.
Clubs also cannot register a Player from an English EFL Club on Work Experience, due to the mandatory use of FIFA TMS and FIFA Article 19 on the protection of minors. This is the same reason why scholars at the four Welsh EFL clubs are not able to be registered as Work Experience Players in the English non-league system, except to Merthyr Town FC.
