The Scottish Football Association has been blasted by the Children's Commissioner for failing to protect the rights of young players.
Hampden Park bosses were criticised after their long-awaited reforms to restrict the sale of footballers under the age of 16 were finally revealed.
The SFA confirmed in a letter that from next season clubs will no longer be able to command fees or training compensation for their promising youngsters unless they sign professional forms at another senior club.
The changes mean compensation will only be payable if a player signs for another club when they turn 16.
But the country's Children's Commissioner, which works to protect the rights of young people, has insisted the reforms do not go far enough as some youngsters can still be registered to Elite-status clubs for 30 months at a time.
Under the plan, Elite level clubs like Celtic and Rangers will be allowed to sign 15-year-olds on a maximum two-and-a-half year contracts to protect their top assets.
Clubs at levels below Elite-status can only sign 15-year-old’s on a one year contract.
A ban on the sale of under-age academy footballers was part of recommendations made by the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee back in June 2020.
The SFA acknowledged the move, which is set to come into place at the end of the current season, in correspondence sent to Bruce Adamson, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner in Scotland.
The letter said: "The (Public Petitions) Committee raised concerns regarding clubs' ability to unilaterally extend a young player's registration under the current arrangements and I can confirm that, for clubs at Elite level, this ability will be removed.
"This change will mean that the young person and club will both commit to each other for a continuous 30 month period.
"By only retaining the ability for clubs at Elite level to register young people for a 30 month period, we are significantly increasing the number of players registered for 12 month periods only, in line with the committee’s recommendation.
“We believe this approach strikes a balance between young people not registering for multi-year periods, whilst enabling clubs to retain a role in the movement of young people outside of Scotland at the age of 16 years old, something that is most likely to apply to the young young people at Elite level clubs."
Nick Hobbs, head of advice and investigations at Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, claimed the interests of football clubs had been put ahead of children.
He told the Record: "It is hugely disappointing that the SFA is not fully implementing the strong recommendations from the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee in 2020 to improve youth football.
"It has taken the SFA two years to reach these proposals and they still do not fully protect the rights of all young players.
"While some children will have their rights protected, those in the 'elite tier' can still be placed on a 30-month registration.
"They will be tied to a contract that is heavily weighted in the interests of the club and which allows them to be 'sold' outside Scotland when they turn 16. Once again, clubs’ interests will be put ahead of children’s human rights."
Hobbs added: "The SFA must stop its member clubs placing any child on a restrictive multi-year registration immediately.
"We need to end the commercial exploitation of children and the informal but highly lucrative ‘transfer market’ in child footballers.
"Young footballers’ rights are best protected by law and the Scottish Government must take advantage of the cross-party support for legislation to ensure children’s rights in youth football are protected, respected, and fulfilled."
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