by
Luca Ranocchiari - Futsalplanet.com editorGood news on the international futsal stage. In the last FIFA Executive meeting held in Marrakech on 18 and 19 December 2014 was approved the
first-ever FIFA futsal international match calendar for the period from 2016 until 2020. This was confirmed by the
FIFA Circular no. 1471 released on past January 27th.
FIFA futsal international match calendar 2016-2020Dear Sir or Madam,
We are pleased to inform you that the first-ever FIFA futsal international match calendar, covering 2016 to 2020, was approved at FIFA Executive Committee meeting no. 33 held in Marrakech on 18 and 19 December 2014.
A review of the agreed release dates will be made in 2017 to make sure that the interests of all parties are taken into account.
The new calendar is based on the following principles:
Mandatory release of futsal players for all international windows listed in the FIFA futsal international match calendar as weil as for the final competitions of the FIFA Futsal World Cup and of the championships for "A" representative teams of the confederations.
Championships for "A" representative teams of the confederations:
o In 2016, 2018 and 2020, as agreed with the confederations, FIFA will include periods reserved for championships for "A" representative teams of the confederations.
o
2016:
• 2-14 February: window for the final competition for "A" representative teams of CAF, CONMEBOL, the OFC and UEFA
• 9-21 February: window for the final competition for "A" representative teams of the AFC
• 3-15 May: window for the final competition for "A" representative teams of CONCACAF
o
2018:
• 30 January - 11 February: window for the final competition for "A" representative teams of all confederations except the AFC
• 6-18 February: window for the final competition for 11 A" representative teams of the AFC
o
2020:
• 28 January - 9 February: window for the final competition for "A" representative teams of all confederations
Players' release: For the final competitions of the championships for "A" representative teams of the confederations, players must be released and start the journey to join their representative team in the morning twelve (12) days before the relevant final competition starts and must be released by the association on the morning of the day after their team's last match in the tournament.
FIFA Futsal World Cup:
o
2016: 10 September - 2 October
o
2020: 12 September - 4 October
Players' release: For the FIFA Futsal World Cup, players must be released and start the journey to join their representative team in the morning fourteen (14) days before the relevant final competition starts and must be released by the association on the morning of the day after their team's last match in the tournament.
In addition to the final competitions of the championships of the confederations and of the FIFA Futsal World Cup, the calendar will include two types of international windows:
o
Type I: period of ten days starting on a Monday morning and ending on the Wednesday night of the following week, during which a maximum of four matches may be played by each representative team. Representative teams shall playa maximum of four matches on the
territory of no more than two confederations.
o
Type II: period of four days starting on a Sunday morning and ending on the Wednesday night of the following week, when a maximum of two matches may be played by each representative team. Representative teams shall playa maximum of two matches on the territory of the same confederation.
Players' release: Players must be released and start their journey to join their representative team no later than the first morning of the window (i .e. Sunday or Monday), and must start the journey back to their club no later than the Thursday morning following the end of the international window.
Please be informed that the FIFA Players' Status Committee will review and amend the relevant provisions contained in Annexe 1 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players so as for the Annexe to include a new art. 1ter dedicated to futsal and forming the legal basis of the newly created FIFA futsal international match calendar.
Attached you will find the complete calendar for the years 2016 to 2020
FIFA futsal international match calendar 2016-2020