Who Has FFP Compliance Checked? Every Premier League Club

By Arasi Rex · Updated 15 August 2026 · 5 min read

Every club in the Premier League is checked for FFP compliance. If the question is who has FFP compliance checked, the answer is all 20 clubs, not a select few. They play the same 38-match season and the same 20-club table, which is why the check is universal.

The mechanism: one table for all 20 clubs

The mechanism is visible from the first matchday. The Premier League uses a single table where three points for a win and one for a draw decide the season. Every club starts on zero and plays 38 matches, home and away, which gives the competition 380 matches in total. A compliance check is anchored to the fact that no club can claim a smaller fixture list, a weaker set of opponents, or a separate set of rules. The same 20 clubs enter the same table, and the same table decides what happens next.

If a cup winner has already qualified through the league, the European place passes down. The clubs involved change, but the frame does not.

Where the squad list fits

The other visible part of the mechanism is the squad list. A Premier League club can name 25 players over 21, and at least 8 of those 25 must be homegrown. The definition is specific: a homegrown player is trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Players under 21 do not count against the 25.

That is where a homegrown player becomes valuable. The rule does not force a club to fill its squad with locally born players; it requires players to be trained in the English or Welsh system for three years before their 21st birthday. A club that develops those players keeps more of its 25 spots for other signings.

Under-21 players sit outside the 25-man list, so an under-21 player can be chosen without taking a place from a senior squad member. That is a compliance edge for clubs that trust their academy.

The squad list is where the compliance picture becomes visible. A club carrying a bloated over-21 squad has less room to move; a club with academy options can spend its budget more selectively. Both of those choices are made under the same 25-player limit that applies to every club in the league.

History: from breakaway to 20 clubs

The 20-club structure was not always there. The Premier League was founded on 20 February 1992, when First Division clubs broke away to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The first season was 1992/93 with 22 clubs, and the league reduced to 20 in 1995/96.

That reduction changed the shape of the compliance conversation. With 20 clubs, each side plays 38 matches, home and away. The league table becomes a tighter puzzle because every point is harder to make up with fewer games. A compliance system built around a 20-club league is easier to police than one built around a 22-club league, because the number of clubs is smaller and each club is on the same match count.

Edge cases: relegation, Europe and tiebreakers

The bottom three are relegated to the Championship. That is one of the edges of the compliance system. A club in the bottom three is not outside the rules; it is the club that has finished below the other 17, and it drops into the Championship. The three clubs that replace the relegated sides enter the same league with the same 38-match obligation.

European qualification is another edge. The top four go into the Champions League league phase. Fifth and the FA Cup winner go into the Europa League, and the League Cup winner goes into the Conference League play-off. If a cup winner has already qualified through the league, the European place passes down to the next eligible club. For a club on the edge of Europe, the reward for a strong finish comes with entry to a higher level of competition.

Tiebreakers add the final layer. The order is points, goal difference, goals scored, head to head. If clubs are level and the position decides the title, relegation or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used. The tiebreaker order matters because the stakes are not just the points total but the competition a club enters the following season.

Who has FFP compliance checked

Every club in the Premier League. The 20 clubs that make up the league are the ones subject to the rules, and the 20-club structure is why the check is universal. There is no invite-only tier of compliant clubs and no spot in the table where the rules stop applying. The check is the price of admission, and all 20 clubs pay it.

FAQ

Who does FFP compliance check?

Every Premier League club. The league has 20 clubs, each playing 38 matches, and the whole season adds up to 380 matches. There is no smaller group of clubs that is exempt from the rules.

How many clubs are checked?

20 clubs. This has been the Premier League's size since the league reduced from 22 clubs in 1995/96, and it means every club in the competition faces the same fixture load and the same compliance requirements.

Does the check include the squad list?

Yes. A Premier League club can name 25 players over 21, with at least 8 homegrown players. Players under 21 do not count against the 25, which is why academy options are so valuable.

Are promoted clubs checked?

Yes. The bottom three are relegated and three clubs are promoted, two automatically and one through the play-off. Those three enter the same 20-club competition with the same obligations.

Key takeaways

Every one of the 20 Premier League clubs is checked for FFP compliance, and each club plays 38 matches in a 380-match season.
The Premier League began with 22 clubs in 1992/93 and reduced to 20 in 1995/96, which created the modern compliance and fixture framework.
Squad compliance requires 25 over-21 players, with at least 8 homegrown players; under-21 players are outside the 25.
The bottom three are relegated, and three clubs are promoted, two automatically and one via the play-off, so the 20 clubs in the league refresh each season.
Who has FFP compliance checked? Every club in the Premier League, and the 20-club structure is why the check is universal.