UAF Approves New UPL Regulations: Foreigner Limit, Increased Fees, and U-21 Tournament

The Ukrainian Association of Football has officially approved the updated regulations for the Ukrainian Premier League for the 2026/27 season. The document introduces significant changes to foreign player limits, club fees, match postponement rules, and launches a new youth competition. The most notable adjustment concerns the foreigner limit. From now on, no more than seven foreign players can be on the field simultaneously. However, if at least one player holds a passport from a European Union member state, that number rises to eight. At the same time, teams must field a minimum of three Ukrainian players. If there are no EU citizens in the squad, at least four Ukrainians must be on the pitch. UAF has also increased the fee per foreign player from 150,000 to 400,000 hryvnias. Half of the collected funds will be allocated to financing match arbitration for the National League of the Future, while the other half will go toward bonuses for clubs that give the most playing time to Ukrainian players under the age of 21. Clubs now have the right, in exceptional cases, to postpone league matches due to participation in European competitions. To do so, they must submit a request to the UPL Directorate at least seven days before the game. Another novelty is the creation of a separate U-21 tournament for Premier League clubs. Players born in 2005 or younger are eligible to take part. Squads may include up to six older players, but no more than five of them can be on the field at the same time. Additionally, the regulations clarify requirements for head coaches, rules for using primary and reserve stadiums, and improve organizational procedures for match execution.