The Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) is the most complex regulatory text tested in the FIFA Agent Exam, accounting for 20 to 30 percent of the total questions. For candidates intending to pass the 2027 FIFA Agent Exam, a strong mastery of the RSTP is both necessary and essential.

Rather than memorising the entire document word for word or attempting to skim through it under the intense pressure of a 60-minute open-book exam, this article highlights the core RSTP articles that FIFA consistently targets to construct its multi-layered scenario-based questions. If you are sitting the 2027 FIFA Agent Exam, this guide is essential reading.

1. Training Compensation (Article 20 & Annexe 4)

When a player transfers between clubs of different associations before the end of the season of their 23rd birthday, the new club generally owes training compensation to every club that contributed to their training between ages 12 and 21. This is one of the most calculation-heavy areas of the exam, which candidates need to understand. Check our previous article on the Calculation of Training Compensation to better understanding.

2. The Solidarity Mechanism (Article 21 & & Annexe 5)

Distinct from training compensation is the solidarity mechanism, which entitles clubs that trained a player between ages 12 and 23 to a percentage of any transfer fee paid in a subsequent transfer, even after the player turns 23. This is often confused with training compensation because both involve payments to a player’s earlier clubs. But they are different. The difference between training compensation and solidarity payment includes factors such as the triggering event, the age range, and the calculation method. Crucially, the obligation to pay training compensation ceases upon the player reaching the age of 23, whereas the solidarity contribution mechanism remains applicable for the duration of the player’s career and is triggered on each occasion he is transferred internationally for a fee

3. Contractual Stability (Articles 13–18)

These provisions govern what happens when a player or club wants to end a contract before its term expires, including the concept of just cause for termination, consequences of unilateral termination without just cause, and the concept of sporting just cause and compensation for breach. Questions often test distinguishing between breach without just cause, breach during the “protected period”, and legitimate early termination. 

4. Protection of Minors (Articles 19, 19bis, 19ter)

The question on the protection of minors is one of the frequent questions the RSTP FIFA agent exam. Generally, International transfers of players under 18 are prohibited except under five (5) specific exceptions which you must know. The exemption includes parental relocation unrelated to football, transfers within the EU/EEA for players aged 16–18, and residence within 50km of a shared national border. Article 19bis adds registration obligations for academies without direct affiliation to a professional club, and Article 19ter covers trials of minors. 

5. Third-Party Ownership (Article 18ter) and Third-Party Influence (Articles 18bis)

While these two articles are frequently tested together, they are different. For candidates writing the FIFA agent exam, it’s important to understand these differences. While Article 18bis prohibits third parties from gaining influence over a club’s independence in employment and transfer matters, Article 18ter bans third-party ownership of a player’s economic rights, meaning no outside party can hold a stake in future transfer compensation.

6. Women’s Football Provisions (Articles 18quater, 18quinquies)

These were added to the RSTP more recently and cover specific registration exceptions and provisions relevant to women’s football. Because they’re a newer addition to the syllabus, it’s one of the most important articles to study for the FIFA Agent Exam. 

7. Bridge Transfers (Article 5bis)

Article 5bis was FIFA’s response to clubs sanctioning the consecutive transfers of the same player, not for sporting reasons, but to dodge the taxes, training compensation, and solidarity payments that a direct transfer would trigger. Under Article 5bis, FIFA automatically presumes a bridge transfer has occurred if a player is transferred twice within 16 weeks.

THE QUICK GUIDE SUMMARY OF RSTP ARTICLES YOU MUST MASTER FOR THE  FIFA Agent EXAM.

Official RSTP Reference	Core Concept / Regulation	Estimated Exam Occurrence	The Strategic Trap to Watch For
Article 5bis	Bridge Transfers & Consecutive Registrations	High Frequency	Look for consecutive transfers of the same player within a 16-week window.
Article 14 & 14bis	Contractual Stability & Just Cause (Overdue Payables)	High Frequency	A player can terminate their contract with just cause if a club is 2 months in default of salary, and if they have given the club a formal 15-day written notice to pay.
Article 17	Consequences of Termination Without Just Cause	Medium Frequency	Tests your understanding of sporting sanctions (e.g., standard 4-to-6 month bans for players) and how financial compensation is calculated if a contract is breached during the Protected Period.
Article 18bis	Third-Party Influence (TPI)	High Frequency	Clubs cannot enter contracts that allow external entities (like agents or investment funds) to influence the club’s independence, employment policies, or transfer actions.
Article 18ter	Third-Party Ownership (TPO)	Critical Priority	No club or player may enter an agreement granting a third party (including agents) the right to participate, in whole or in part, in compensation payable on the future transfer of a player. Note: Players themselves are no longer considered a “third party” for the purposes of Article 18ter.
Article 18quater	Special Provisions for Female Players & Coaches	High Frequency	Mandatory protections for pregnancy, maternity, family and adoption. For pregnancy,  a minimum 14-week paid maternity leave (paid at no less than two-thirds of their salary). Dismissal on these grounds is presumed to be without just cause.
Article 20 & Annexe 4	Training Compensation & Calculation	Critical Priority	Triggered when a player signs their first professional contract. You must know when to apply the standard new club category rate vs. the specialized UEFA cross-border averaging exception.
Article 21 & Annexe 5	The Solidarity Mechanism Calculation	Critical Priority	5% of any gross transfer fee is withheld and split pro-rata among all clubs that trained the player between ages 12 and 23. The exam requires you to compute exact season-by-season fractions under tight timelines.

Understand the RSTP FIFA agent Exam with BallBusiness

The difference between clearing the 75% baseline and waiting another full year to sit the exam comes down to how quickly you can dismantle the complex cross-reference RSTP questions from the key articles mentioned above and other articles of priority, such as Article 5: Registration of players; Article 10: Loans of players; Article 22: Competence of FIFA bodies (dispute resolution).

As you know by now, passing the FIFA agent exam is more than knowing the regulations word-for-word or where you can find the articles, since it’s open-book. The exam tests logical reasoning and scenario application. With the BallBusiness Preparatory Course and the 400-most common questions and 25 key concepts to Ace the FIFA Agent Exam, you stand the chance of being among the smaller percentage who will become a licensed FIFA football agent come 2027.