In accordance with the FIFA Statutes, players participating in organized football are either amateurs or professionals. A professional player is a player who has a written contract with a club and is paid more for his footballing activity than the expenses he effectively incurs. All other players are considered amateurs.
A player registered as a professional may not re-register as an amateur until at least 30 days after his last match as a professional.
If a player re-registers as a professional within 30 months of being reinstated as an amateur, his new club shall pay training compensation in accordance with article 20 of the FIFA Statutes.