Is "tapping up" still a thing?

[ClausThomsen]

1. Club A is interested in a player

2. Club A asks Club B for permission to speak to the player

3a. If Club B accepts, the player and his representatives speak with Club A to see if they can verbally agree on personal terms. If they do, skip to 4.​

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3b. If Club B don't accept, then it's down to Club A to try and convince them that a deal would be worth their while (or if the player himself states his desire to move/hands in a transfer request) otherwise the interest usually ends here. Anything that Club A does at this point which directly involves the player or their representatives without acceptance from Club B could be considered 'tapping up'.​

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4. If the player & Club A agree personal terms, Club A will then open talks over the sale with Club B until they come to an agreement. If they do, the player is sold. If not, see 3b.

This is my general understanding?

1 - Buyer is interested in a player and sounds out the player's representatives / agent about the likelihood of them wanting to come and what terms would be required to make a deal.

3 - Buyer may also sound out the player's club about a move but will not be too bothered about being given permission as it is merely an "informal" chat with the players representation at this stage.

4 - A transfer may be agreed between clubs but it will certainly be after terms have been sorted "informally" with the players representation. No club wants to risk a public formal bid to be then blown out by the player involved.

5 - If no transfer is agreed then it makes little difference and the player's representation may "advise" them to make things difficult at their club. The selling club will likely not make any formal complaint about tapping up as they will likely certainly have done exactly the same thing in the past, be currently doing the same thing and planning on doing the same thing at some point in the near future. And there's a good chance they'll be doing it with the same agents / representatives / intermediaries who are currently working on moving their player elsewhere.

6 - Eventually a deal gets done, or a new contract gets sorted, or the deal gets kicked down the road to the next window or whenever the selling club can get their ducks in order. And everybody agrees that tapping up rules have never been adhered to since the inception of footballers contracts and they're really rather silly and antiquated.

 

[Runub]

For the majority of our squad I would welcome tapping up, fornication or anything else for that matter

 

[Muggins]

1 - Buyer is interested in a player and sounds out the player's representatives / agent about the likelihood of them wanting to come and what terms would be required to make a deal.

3 - Buyer may also sound out the player's club about a move but will not be too bothered about being given permission as it is merely an "informal" chat with the players representation at this stage.

4 - A transfer may be agreed between clubs but it will certainly be after terms have been sorted "informally" with the players representation. No club wants to risk a public formal bid to be then blown out by the player involved.

5 - If no transfer is agreed then it makes little difference and the player's representation may "advise" them to make things difficult at their club. The selling club will likely not make any formal complaint about tapping up as they will likely certainly have done exactly the same thing in the past, be currently doing the same thing and planning on doing the same thing at some point in the near future. And there's a good chance they'll be doing it with the same agents / representatives / intermediaries who are currently working on moving their player elsewhere.

6 - Eventually a deal gets done, or a new contract gets sorted, or the deal gets kicked down the road to the next window or whenever the selling club can get their ducks in order. And everybody agrees that tapping up rules have never been adhered to since the inception of footballers contracts and they're really rather silly and antiquated.

1 - Buyer is interested in a player and sounds out the player's representatives / agent about the likelihood of them wanting to come and what terms would be required to make a deal.

3 - Buyer may also sound out the player's club about a move but will not be too bothered about being given permission as it is merely an "informal" chat with the players representation at this stage.

4 - A transfer may be agreed between clubs but it will certainly be after terms have been sorted "informally" with the players representation. No club wants to risk a public formal bid to be then blown out by the player involved.

5 - If no transfer is agreed then it makes little difference and the player's representation may "advise" them to make things difficult at their club. The selling club will likely not make any formal complaint about tapping up as they will likely certainly have done exactly the same thing in the past, be currently doing the same thing and planning on doing the same thing at some point in the near future. And there's a good chance they'll be doing it with the same agents / representatives / intermediaries who are currently working on moving their player elsewhere.

6 - Eventually a deal gets done, or a new contract gets sorted, or the deal gets kicked down the road to the next window or whenever the selling club can get their ducks in order. And everybody agrees that tapping up rules have never been adhered to since the inception of footballers contracts and they're really rather silly and antiquated.

Is point 2 something you can’t speak about? You know, for legal reasons.

 

[ClausThomsen]

Is point 2 something you can’t speak about? You know, for legal reasons.

It's a crippling blind-spot that dashed what would have been an illustrious career in mathematical academia.

 

[barneygumble]

It used to be that if a club approached a player, without first agreeing a deal with their club, they would get charged with tapping up.

Now I keep reading reports that a club has agreed personal terms with a player and are then trying to work out a deal with the club.

So is tapping up not a thing anymore or am I missing something?

So glad you’ve brought it up.

It’s clearly happening but just one of these things people just accept nowadays.

Further nail in the “Elite Football is dead to me” coffin.

Big clubs can just do what they want, with zero repercussion.

 

[brigadier]

Bigger clubs bully smaller clubs its getting worse and worse, the rules are still in place to stop it they just don't want to.

 

[ClausThomsen]

It's a stupid rule to try and enforce. Even without agents players talk to people from other clubs all the time whether it's former team-mates they're still in touch with, groups meeting up on end-of-season piss-ups somewhere sunny or on international duty. It's like any other industry.

A contract is there for financial benefit and nothing more.

 

[gonetomorrow]

Do scouts still go round to schoolkids' homes and talk persuasively to their parents about a career in the game?

Only he's 42 on Friday and carrying a bit of condition.

 

[BullensRoad]

The growth in the digital age has probably made it impossible to monitor.