The Football Governance Act 2025 (Suitability Determination Period for Owners and Officers) Regulations 2026

Made: 9th January 2026

Laid before Parliament: 12th January 2026

Coming into force: 2nd February 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 32(2)(a) and (4) of the Football Governance Act 2025[^f00001].

In accordance with section 32(6) of the Football Governance Act 2025 the Secretary of State has consulted such persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Football Governance Act 2025 (Suitability Determination Period for Owners and Officers) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 2nd February 2026.

• (2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

• (3) In these Regulations “the Act” means the Football Governance Act 2025.

Determination period for suitability assessments

2

• (1) For the purposes of section 32(2)(a) of the Act, the determination period in respect of an application is 90 days beginning on the day after the IFR[^f00002] receives the application duly made in accordance with section 28 or 29 of the Act (as the case may be).

• (2) For the purposes of section 32(4) of the Act, the determination period in respect of an application may not be extended under section 32(3) of the Act so that it exceeds a period of 150 days beginning on the day after the IFR receives the application duly made in accordance with section 28 or 29 of the Act (as the case may be).

Signed

Stephanie Peacock — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Culture, Media and Sport — 9th January 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations are made under section 32(2)(a) and (4) of the Football Governance Act 2025 (“the Act”). Section 32 requires the Independent Football Regulator (“IFR”) to make a determination as to whether a person is suitable to be an owner or officer of a club within a specified determination period.

Regulation 2(1) specifies the initial determination period for the purposes of section 32(2)(a) of the Act. The initial determination period runs for 90 days, beginning on the day after the IFR receives an application that is made in accordance with section 28 or section 29 of the Act. An application is made in accordance with those sections where it complies with the statutory requirements as to information, form and manner, including the information requirements specified in rules made by the IFR under those sections.

Regulation 2(2) specifies the maximum period by which the initial determination period can be extended under section 32(3) of the Act, for the purposes of section 32(4). The effect is that the total determination period may not exceed 150 days, beginning on the same day referred to in paragraph 2.

Under section 32(5) of the Act, if the IFR does not make a determination within the determination period, the IFR is treated as having determined that the person is not suitable to be an owner or officer (as applicable) of a club.

A full impact assessment was prepared in relation to the Act. No further impact assessment has been produced as the effect of the Regulations is limited to applying the provisions of the Act, the impact of which has already been assessed. Copies of the Impact Assessment for the Act are available from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ and at www.legislation.gov.uk, where it may be read alongside this instrument and its Explanatory Memorandum. Hard copies of these documents are available from the same postal address.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2025 (c. 21).

[^f00002]: IFR is defined at section 2(1) of the Football Governance Act 2025 c. 21.