Agent sanctions can result from poorly prepared files. Use this checklist before every signature.

The client

  • Is the client already bound by a representation agreement?
  • For a minor, are legal guardians identified and involved?
  • Have you completed FIFA Guardians, and is your certification current?
  • Is the player's registration history documented?

Your position

  • Is your licence valid?
  • Are continuing education requirements up to date?
  • Is there an actual or potential conflict of interest? Has it been disclosed in writing?
  • Is another connected agent involved in the same transaction?

Disclosing a conflict allows it to be assessed. Concealing it can constitute a breach.

The contract

  • Are services described precisely rather than generically?
  • Does the agreement predate the services?
  • Does the rate comply with the relevant rules for your representation role?
  • Has the USD 200,000 threshold been accounted for in the banded calculation?
  • Are conditional payments addressed?
  • Is the party responsible for paying the fee identified?
  • Are termination conditions provided?

After signing

Archive the signed agreement, preparatory correspondence and evidence of conflict disclosures. In a dispute, records matter more than memory. Organise them by client, transaction and date.

Three warning signs

You are being rushed. Pressure can discourage careful reading. A sound transaction should allow time for verification.

Written terms are refused. A party unwilling to appear in a contract may know that it should not be involved.

The arrangement is unnecessarily complex. An intermediary club with no clear sporting function, a shell company or an unidentified third-party payment flow may create regulatory risks and sanctions.

The guiding principle

If you cannot explain a transaction calmly and in writing to a FIFA reviewer, do not sign it.

For more detail, explore module 7, which concludes with an ethical decision framework and practical checklist.