A task force has been set up to investigate Bermuda's controversial soccer transfer system.

Action was taken at Bermuda Football Association's semi-annual meeting at Devonshire Rec. on Monday night when president Neville Tyrrell accepted the current policy regarding transfers was cause for grave concern.

"We should dispense of what we have at the moment because it is causing us serious problems. It definitely is not doing what it was intended to do,'' admitted Tyrrell.

The controversial $2,500 transfer fee combined with other related policies covering the movement of players from club to club prompted the BFA to recommend amendments. But the presentation made to affiliates didn't receive a positive response.

And while it was clear that the BFA were making a genuine effort to improve the policy, the large turnout eventually agreed only to have a task force investigate the matter more thoroughly before reporting back to the Association.

However, the fact that the BFA's recommendations didn't get the expected support was not regarded as a negative development by Tyrrell.

"No, not at all. Our first choice was to either remove the policy altogether or make a suggested change to it as we did,'' he said. "Obviously the affiliates felt there was still an emotive aspect about it.

"The clubs realise that they are the ones who are going to have to live by any new policy and it's good to see them take some iniative towards helping to resolve it themselves and come back to us with further recommendations.'' On the recommendation of Devonshire Colts, seconded by Somerset CC, seven affiliates were named to provide representatives to form a committee, and the BFA themselves included two of their own members -- Delroy O'Brien and Stuart Crockwell.

The affiliates named as members of the task force were Devonshire Colts, Somerset CC, North Village, Hotels, Prospect, Western Stars and Bermuda Schools Federation. They are due to report back to the BFA during a meeting scheduled for March 17.

The original idea of strict rules covering transfers was to ensure that a club losing a player would receive some sort of compensation after having invested in the development of someone who had been with them through their junior ranks.

After Devonshire Colts came up with the suggestion of forming a task force, Somerset gave a detailed account of the great difficulty the rule had caused their organisation.

They pointed out how they had been dealt with unfairly when what they saw as a legitimate claim for compensation against the move of players saw the BFA turn down their appeal -- and as a consequence many players were left on the sidelines, unable to play any soccer at all this season.

The BFA's recommendation for the amendments were: In the case where a player has graduated as a result of an unbroken tenure through a club's youth programme (Mini-Minors, Minors, Bantams and Juniors) and is eligible to or has registered as a senior player, wishes to be released from his club, the club may request compensation for his development; The compensation shall be in accordance with the following fee structure, of which $100 will be retained by the association: Before 21 (up to $2,000); before 23 (up to $1,500); before 25 (up to $1,000); after 25 (the club shall have no claim to compensation under this article).

However, these recommendations failed to satisfy the affiliates.