Does the National League have a January transfer window?

Clubs up and down the football pyramid are preparing for a critical January transfer window that could change the fortunes of their respective seasons.

While the transfer window opens for those in the Premier League and EFL on Thursday, January 1 , the window does not apply to those in the National League .

The fifth tier operated with a January transfer window up until 2016, when it was abolished to allow clubs to trade freely throughout the season.

Here, DAZN News explains how transfers work in the National League.

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How do transfers work in the National League?

Unlike the Premier League and the EFL, the National League and the rest of the Non-League do not have a transfer window in August or January.

This means that clubs can transfer players on permanent and loan deals throughout the season with no strict deadlines.

Due to these rules, emergency loans do not exist below the fourth tier.

National League clubs are allowed to register up to 6 long-term loan players at once throughout the campaign, but are limited to 2 short-term loans from any one club.

A maximum of 5 loan players are permitted to feature in a matchday squad as outlined by the FA and the National League system.

Player registration in the National League

The Non-League differs from the Premier League and EFL in that there is a player registration system rather than a transfer window.

In the National League and the National Leagues North & South, clubs can register players for the following season at midnight on the day after their final match of the current campaign.

The player registration period then ends at 5pm on the fourth Thursday in March.

Types of registration

Short-term loan

• Must last a minimum of twenty-eight days, but can last until the end of the playing season
• Players cannot be recalled within the first twenty-eight days (except goalkeepers)
• Clubs are permitted to sign a maximum of twelve short-term loan players throughout a season
• A maximum of 2 short-term loans is permitted to or from 1 club at any 1 time

Long-term loan

• Long-term loans last the duration of the playing season unless the deal was agreed upon during the previous registration period
• A player may be recalled by their parent club after the first twenty-eight days of the loan, or if a recall clause is agreed in the deal
• Up to 6 long-term loans are permitted throughout a season
• A maximum of 2 short-term loans is permitted to or from 1 club at any 1 time

Youth loan

• The player must be aged twenty or below on 1 July immediately preceding the playing season
• Must be a minimum of twenty-eight days, and are permitted at any point of the playing season
• The player may continue to train and play for their parent club as long as they are in non-first-team matches
• There is no limit on the number of youth loans a team can make
• A maximum of 2 short-term loans is permitted to or from 1 club at any 1 time

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