Overseas players guidance & rules
A Visa guide – what’s possible
League guidance
The League guidance on overseas players is contained in our administrative brules.
Rule 33.iii (unqualified players)
An unqualified player is a player not qualified to play for England under the current ECB regulations. All non-EEA citizens will require prior permission (a visa) to come to the UK to participate in sport if they do not hold a:
British Passport (or is a spouse/dependent of);
European Passport (or is a spouse/dependent of); or
Ancestral Visa.
Rule 37 (overseas players)
Unless ‘ordinarily resident’ (admin rule 33.i), overseas players are Category 3 (Unqualified Players). In registering overseas players, all Home Office and ECB rules and guidelines must be followed, the correct visa obtained, and the approval of the Compliance Manager obtained before registration. The Compliance Manager will make such checks as they deem necessary before giving approval to register. Category 3 players will fall into one of the four categories below.
i. ‘Overseas professionals’ who, in order to be registered on Play-Cricket, must furnish the Compliance Manager with a copy of:
the registering club’s Certificate of Sponsorship for the player, issued by ECB
a Tier 5 International Sportsperson’s (ISP) visa or the Permitted Paid Employment (PPE) visa
a completed copy of the YCSPL Overseas Professional Registration form
for players on PPE visas, verification of DBS and Police checks (as already required for players on ISP visas)
ii. ‘Overseas amateurs’ who, in order to be registered on Play-Cricket, must furnish the Compliance Manager with a copy of:
British or European Passport (or document confirming spouse/dependent of) or
an Ancestral Visa or
a relevant visitor visa, eg, a Standard Visitor Visa, Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa, or Tier 4 (Student) Visa and
a completed copy of the YCSPL Overseas Amateur Registration form
iii. Asylum seekers, who will be allowed to play in the league as overseas players, but will be exempt from the overseas player registration cut-off in para 38.ii below, subject to the following.
Home Office verification of their asylum seeker status being provided;
Players subsequently granted ‘refugee status’ or ‘leave to remain in the UK’ may be paid to play, but an asylum seeker who is awaiting a decision on his status cannot be paid.
iv. Overseas students, who will be allowed to play without restriction in accordance with 39 below.
Rule 38 (overseas player registration)
i. Clubs will be allowed to register up to two overseas players on the basis of one per team for teams in the Premier Section and Senior Section Division 2 upwards. The team for whom the player is registered must be specified. Overseas players may be either a professional or an amateur.
ii. No overseas player may be registered after 30 June, except as in 38.iv.b below.
iii. Below Division 2, overseas players may only be engaged with the permission of the Senior Section Cricket Committee. At the end of the season, all overseas players will be removed from YCSPL Play-Cricket registration.
iv. An overseas player in any one team may be replaced once during the season prior to the 30 June, including replacing a first team overseas with a second team overseas player at the start of the season only, who, if the need arises, may be returned to the second team without infringing para 47.
v. A replacement overseas player may be engaged, in addition to 38.ii above, only where all the following circumstances apply:
where a team’s registered overseas player has to return home earlier than had originally been agreed between the player and the relevant club at the time when he was registered;
where the return was requested by his club in the country in which he normally plays, in order to play or prepare for a first class, A List or T20 competition sanctioned by the governing body in an ICC Full member country;
where the replacement player will be registered by the end of business on 14 August; and
satisfactory supporting evidence of the above is provided to the Compliance Manager and approved by the Head of Premier Section.
Rule 39 (overseas students)
Bona fide students from overseas, who are studying in the UK, will be allowed to play in the Senior Section, at the discretion of the Senior section committee, irrespective of whether they have met the 210-day qualification criteria, provided that they:
i. complete the League overseas student registration form; and
ii. are either studying at a college or university in the immediate vicinity of the area covered by the YCSPL; or
iii. are living with family or friends in that area for the duration of their summer vacation.
Such students will register as Category 3 and must not be paid for playing, but will not be classed as overseas players for League purposes. There will be no restriction on when they can be registered. They will not be allowed to play in the Premier Section, unless they are registered as their team’s ‘overseas amateur’ and the League overseas amateur registration form has been completed, until they have qualified by residence for registration as a Category 1 player in a subsequent season.
League overseas player registration forms
Further guidance
When planning to register an overseas player to play in the YCSPL, please read the above guidance.
