The transfer system as it pertains to the payment of players will come up for review soon and could be either revamped or eliminated altogether.

The Bermuda Football Association's decision to allow three Devonshire Colts players, Leonard Hypolite, Derek Wright and Antoine Lightbourne, to join new clubs without Colts being compensated has sparked an angry reaction from Colts. They are claiming that the regulations call for them to be compensated if they lose players who have come up through their youth programmes.

However, the transfer fee of $2,500, which was introduced in the early 1980s to discourage certain clubs from luring players from clubs with financial incentives, clearly has some flaws as clubs who have players wishing to join them are finding themselves having to pay to get them.

One of the things taken into consideration when Colts' request to be paid for their players was turned down was that the players had given sufficient service back to the club to compensate for the investments made when they came through the youth progamme.

"I believe that the committee was of the opinion that once we review the intent as opposed to a blanket $2,500 at any length into a senior player's life it surely doesn't qualify a club for those fees,'' said BFA general secretary David Sabir.

"The example being if a player has come through the youth programme and has spent 10 to 15 years in their senior programme then at some point -- even though the regulation doesn't specify it -- the intent of the regulation must be that that player has given some sort of service back to the club by participation in the senior division.

"The appeals committee is satisfied that has happened. More importantly the committee is of the opinion that at some point a player's indebtedness to his club must have been achieved via particiation in the senior division.'' Sabir admitted the whole system needs reviewing as a player may have various reasons for wanting to join a new club and should not be bound by a transfer fee.

"A player may want to participate in another environment for a number of reasons. He may have moved, personal or job circumstances may have changed or the club administration and coaching may have changed,'' said Sabir.

"At some point we must look very closely at this regulation. Not in terms of the decisions made yesteryear but the decisions that must be made for the future.

"The executive has come to realisation that this entire article must be reviewed and or amended immediately to avoid such controversy in the future.

It will be reviewed, but how this revision will take form we're unable to say at this time but it will be vigorously debated.'' The high number of players seeking transfers annually is also of concern to the association, though the numbers were down this year. The introduction of team rosters was seen as a way to reduce the free movement of players and to make clubs more selective in the new players they sign.

With the exception of clubs like North Village and PHC in particular, many clubs accept just about any player who wants to join them, and they subsequently end up having a surplus to requirements.

"It appears as though it is the fringe players, those looking for a place to play and a starting position who are lured to the club with either a successful past season or a respected coach or because of the players that are at that club,'' Sabir explained. "They migrate to where they believe they will have success.

"If this is not realised during the season for whatever reason then it is these players who turn around and leave, which comes back to the situation of when a club decides to play $2,500 for a player who decides to turn around and go back (to his previous club). Amateur players can't have contracts but contractually what binds these players to a club that just paid $2,500 for him is a gentleman's agreement.'' One example was Dwayne (Streaker) Adams who joined BAA last season but returned to North Village when his new club went straight back to the Second Division.

"Is that punishment, though, for a club that wants to pay?,'' Sabir asked.

"The BFA constitution specifies that there is no protection for the club that pays $2,500.'' BAA lost about 30 players in the transfer market, with seven moving internally to either the Second Division team or Commercial team, but they still have sufficient players to field three teams.

"Obviously they have more players at their club than they need,'' said Sabir in suggesting why the roster proposal could work.

"Players that didn't come in for the release fee obviously are players that didn't come up through a club's programme but they are good players and can be useful in any team.

"However, they are moving around for a number of reasons and for some of the reasons you may have to look internally at the club, not the BFA because we don't pick teams.

"It's obvious that at the BFA we can't discourage the participation of players at various clubs but you will note that there is only allowed 16 players on team sheets on any given match day. The association last year recommended a roster of 25 players per team per division which was defeated by the clubs. They wanted open registration.'' Added Sabir: "What you have in pre-season is 50 players training at a club and in the final selection if they don't fit the coach's programme or find they are not as good then it is those players who are seeking, year in and year out, a new home.

"If you look at every sport, especially professional sports, we have a select roster of players and what this would do to the development of the sport also has to be reviewed.

"If you focus on your competitive divisions, First and Second Divisions, and you are trying to develop your competitive teams then you need a roster, specific players that you work with. In the Alliance Division where you are talking about development then you can have open-ended registration.'' DWAYNE ADAMS -- Returned to North Village this season after short stint at BAA.