CFA Official: Launching the Recommendation Program for Excellent Players in Different Age Groups – Forgery Will Result in Disqualification

On August 12, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) published a notice on its official website regarding the launch of the recommendation program for excellent players in the 2010-2012 age group. The notice explicitly states, “The information of the recommended players should be filled out truthfully. If any instances of forgery are found, the CFA will revoke the qualification of the relevant unit to recommend and cancel the self-recommended player’s self-recommendation qualification in the next year.”

The specific content of the notice is as follows:

To all member associations, professional clubs, social youth training institutions, sports schools, and schools:

To further expand the elite youth player talent pool and improve the player selection and tracking mechanism, the CFA plans to organize elite player training camps for the 2010-2012 age group in the second half of this year. To ensure the smooth operation of the elite player training camps, the CFA, while selecting players through its technical team based on competitions, will organize a recommendation program for outstanding players nationwide. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:

I. Eligibility and Conditions for Recommended Players

(1) Meet the “five-ring” player development model of technical, tactical, physical, mental, and social skills outlined in the CFA’s Youth Training Outline;

(2) Born between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012;

(3) According to the content of the “Standard for Evaluating the Stage-Wise Motor Ability of Chinese Male Youth Players (2021 Edition)” released by the CFA, players aged 2010 and 2011 need to achieve a good level in all six items, while players aged 2012 only need to achieve a good level in the arrow run and 30-meter run;

(4) Players who participated in the National Finals of the 3rd China Youth Football League in 2024 or the 2024 CFA Youth Championships (Member Association Group, Key City Group, Professional Club Group);

(5) Players who participated in the highest-level football events for the corresponding age group organized by their local member association in 2024 and achieved a top-8 finish;

(6) Players who have participated in various elite player training camps organized by the CFA.

II. Recommendation Channels

(1) Unit Recommendation

1. All levels of youth training institutions, including professional football clubs, sports schools, CFA youth training centers, football-themed schools, and social youth training institutions, can recommend excellent players;

2. The local CFA member associations are responsible for summarizing the information of the players recommended by relevant units within their jurisdiction and uploading it to the CFA’s “Youth Training Digital Management System.” There is no limit on the number of recommended players;

3. Each player must be reported by a coach holding a valid B-level or above coaching license. This coach is responsible for the player’s ability level;

4. Please log in to the CFA official website www.thecfa.cn, click on the “Youth” section to enter the “Youth Training Digital Management System.” After logging in to the system, enter the Regional Training Camp module, select “Outstanding Player Registration,” click on the “Go to Submit (Player)” button on the details page, download the “CFA 2010-2012 Outstanding Player Selection Information Form,” fill out the form, and submit it in bulk after uploading the players’ information;

5. The information collection deadline is 17:00 on August 30, 2024. In addition, member associations can submit supplementary player lists during two time windows: September 30 and October 30 (00:00-17:00).

(2) Self-Recommendation

1. All self-recommended players must correspond to a coach holding a valid coaching license. This coach is responsible for the player’s ability level;

2. If a self-recommended player has already been recommended by a relevant unit, they do not need to self-recommend;

3. Self-recommended players can log in to the CFA official website www.thecfa.cn, click on the “Youth” section to enter the “Youth Training Digital Management System,” click on the “2010-2012 Self-Recommended Player Registration Entrance” at the bottom of the homepage, enter the registration details page, complete the relevant registration information and submit it. Self-recommended players can upload information before 17:00 on August 30, 2024;

4. The CFA will further evaluate self-recommended players based on work arrangements and select outstanding players to enter the training camps.

III. Work Requirements

(1) Please carefully organize the recommendation work after receiving this notice;

(2) The information of recommended players should be filled out truthfully. If any instances of forgery are found, the CFA will revoke the qualification of the relevant unit to recommend and cancel the self-recommended player’s self-recommendation qualification in the next year;

(3) The CFA will establish a player selection technical team to strictly follow the selection criteria and determine the list of players selected for each elite training camp.

IV. Contact Person and Contact Information

Contact person: Song Yi

Contact number: 010-59291168

V. Matters not covered in this notice will be announced separately.