EFL: Clubs remove three-window penalty for late payments

English Football League clubs have voted to reduce the length of the ‘fee cap’ transfer window for clubs that fail to meet financial obligations.

Those who do not pay for more than 30 days are barred from any incoming transfers or loans for three transfer windows which involve a fee.

Wednesday was Sheffield One hit by a club The three-window restriction when they failed to pay the players’ wages on time twice in March and May 2025, totaled more than a 30-day judgment.

Under the new regulations, clubs may still be subject to a fee cap but only for one transfer window, with the EFL keen to assess future breaches of their rules on a case-by-case basis.

“Going forward, this will be replaced by a more structured business planning approach based on individual circumstances, which aims to clarify what information clubs need to report to the league and when,” the EFL said in a statement.

“Under the revised regulations, clubs may still be subject to a fee restriction, but only for a window. Clubs will also retain the right to appeal, while the league also retains the right to charge clubs in serious cases of persistent default.”

The new ruling was voted on at the EFL’s annual general meeting on Thursday.

Rick Parry has been re-elected as league chairman for another three years, which will be extended His time is a decade.