Player Eligibility Rules for Participation in IIHF Championships and Olympic Competitions with any National Team

It is the objective of the IIHF that national teams competing in IIHF championships shall reflect the status and standard of the sport as currently played by citizens of and in the country concerned and to protect the integrity of international competition.

Only players meeting the following qualification requirements can participate in the IIHF championships, the Olympic competition and in the qualifications to these competitions:

-Each player must be under the jurisdiction of a member national ice hockey association of the IIHF and be a citizen of the country he represents. The player must properly complete and sign the IIHF Player Entry Form which must also be completed and countersigned by his member national association which shall at all times be responsible for the player’s eligibility.

-The player must submit (a) his signed Player Entry Form and (b) his valid national passport, which must confirm that he is a citizen of the country he represents.


When a player has multiple citizenship where the relevant citizenships are for countries of member national associations and he has never represented any country in any IIHF championship or an Olympic competition or in qualifications to these competitions, then in order to play for the country of his choice he must:

a) prove that he has participated for at least two consecutive years in the national competitions of and resident in the country that he wishes to represent during which period he has neither transferred to another country nor played ice hockey within any other country and

b) if the country of his choice is one to which the player has transferred then he must have had an IIHF international transfer card approved and dated by the IIHF at least two years prior to his proposed participation.


When once a player has represented a country in any IIHF championship, or in the Olympic competition or in the qualification to these competitions he will not be eligible to represent another country excepting that he may apply to the IIHF to represent another country provided that:

a) he is a citizen of that country,

b) he has an international transfer card that was approved and dated by the IIHF at least four years before the start of the IIHF competition in which he wishes to participate,

c) he has participated for at least four consecutive years in the national competitions of his new country during which period he has neither transferred to another country nor played ice hockey within any other country, and

d) he has not played for his previous country in an IIHF competition either during this four year period or between completion of this four year period and the start of the IIHF championship he wishes to compete.


If the ineligibility of one or more players is proved during a championship then the games played by the team with an ineligible player shall be forfeited and the ineligible player dismissed from the tournament. If the ineligibility is proved after the championship and before the following Semi- Annual Congress, the team with the ineligible player shall be disqualified.

International Player Transfers

It is the responsibility of the IIHF to ensure the good order of the sport internationally and, in
relation to player movement, to safeguard the player and his position with regard to player
eligibility for international competitions and to uphold discipline and maintain order between
clubs and within the sport.

Players who wish to move from one country, irrespective of whether or not they are registered
with the member national association of that country, to the member national association of
another country are required to have a valid IIHF international transfer card (ITC). The ITC
must be signed by the player, by the member national association of that country, by the new
member national association and confirmed by the IIHF. The transfer becomes valid on the
date it has been confirmed by the IIHF.

When a player applies for an international transfer, the member national association of the
country from which he is transferring in signing the transfer application shall be deemed to have
confirmed that there is no reason for them to prevent the player from transferring to the new
club or national association.



International Transfer Card (ITC) for National Championships
-Players - men or women - who wish to move from one country to the member national association of another country to compete in a national competition under the jurisdiction of the member national association which leads to a championship are required to apply for a transfer by means of the IIHF transfer card. Players under 18 years of age may be transferred by means of a letter of approval. (Refer to Chapter 4 of these regulations for these procedures)

-A valid international transfer card (ITC) must be properly completed and signed by the player, by the former member national association, by the new member national association and confirmed by the IIHF. All information on the transfer card must be properly completed before it can be processed and approved by the IIHF.

-The transfer becomes valid by the date of the IIHF confirmation. From that date the player is under the jurisdiction of the new member national association. The member associations concerned will receive a copy of the ITC confirmed by the IIHF. The player may start to play for his new club only when the new member association has received the approved ITC confirmation from the IIHF office.

-In the case of a player playing without a valid ITC, the new member national association, the new club, the player and if applicable the new league shall be subject to disciplinary procedures of the IIHF as set out in section III of these regulations.

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