Applicable to: Participants
Applicable to: Rugby Canada, Basketball England
Application(s): PlayHQ > Registration form
This article will cover the following:
- Why you are asked about previous registrations
- Answering the question during registration
- What happens after you register
- Getting your clearance sorted
- Your sport's clearance rules
Overview
Some sports require a player to be formally cleared before they can play in a new country. If you have played the same sport under another national federation, that federation needs to release you, and your new one needs to accept you. This is called an International Clearance, or a Letter of Clearance.
When you register into a competition with a sport that requires this, PlayHQ asks you one short question about your previous registrations. Your answer helps your governing body work out whether a clearance is needed, so it can be sorted before you take the court, field or pitch.
You will only see this question when registering into a competition.
Why you are asked about previous registrations
Your governing body writes the question in its own words, so the exact wording differs between sports. It is always asking the same thing: whether your most recent registration in this sport was with a different federation.
💡 Tip: Answer honestly, even if you think it will slow you down. Getting a clearance sorted at registration is far quicker than having it picked up mid-season, and a clearance that is missed can put your eligibility to play at risk.
Answering the question during registration
-
Complete your registration as normal
Work through the registration form. -
Answer the International Clearance question
Select the option that matches your situation. Your governing body chooses which of the following are offered:- Your last registration was with another federation, for example you played in another country most recently
- Your last registration was not with another federation, for example you played in this country last season
- You have never registered to play this sport before
-
Answer any follow-up questions
Enter your Club Name, the Year Played and the Country if you are asked for them. -
Submit your registration
Finish and submit the form. Your answer is stored against this registration, so you will not be asked to repeat it every time you look at your profile.
What happens after you register
Most players are unaffected and their registration completes normally.
If your answer means a clearance may be needed, and the competition you have joined requires clearances, your registration status is held at Pending while your governing body checks it. Being Pending means you are registered but not yet able to play.
Once your governing body clears you, your registration moves to Active on its own, provided nothing else is outstanding on it. You do not need to do anything in PlayHQ to make that happen.
⚠️ Important: If your answer needs correcting, your governing body has to do it.
Getting your clearance sorted
The clearance itself happens outside PlayHQ, between your governing body and the federation you are coming from or going to. PlayHQ records the outcome, it does not process the paperwork.
If your registration is held and you want to know where it is up to
Contact your club first. They can see your clearance status and the note recorded against it, which is usually enough to tell you whether you are waiting on a clearance or on something else.
If your club cannot help
Contact your sport's governing body, since only they can complete a clearance and release a held registration. Visit the Contact Us page and select your sport to find their preferred contact method.
Your sport's clearance rules
Each sport sets its own clearance rules through its national governing body and its world federation, so what you need to do depends on which sport you are registering for.
| Your sport | Where to read the rules |
|---|---|
| Basketball in England | NBL FAQs, Basketball England |
| Rugby in Canada | International Player Clearance, Rugby Canada |
⚠️ Important: Being cleared out of your old federation can affect more than your registration, including things like insurance cover. Read your governing body's rules before you ask to be cleared out.
If your sport is not listed above, ask your club or governing body where their clearance rules are published.
If you answered the question incorrectly
Contact your governing body. Neither you nor your club can edit the answer, and it cannot be changed on the registration itself, so your governing body needs to correct your clearance status directly.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything if I have only ever played in this country?
No. Answer that your last registration was not with another federation and your registration continues as normal.
I am registering my child. Do they need a clearance?
Answer the question honestly for them. Governing bodies set an age range for clearances, and players outside it pass through automatically even though the question is still asked.
How long does a clearance take?
That depends on your governing body and the federation you are coming from, since the paperwork is exchanged between them. Ask your governing body for a realistic timeframe.
I registered into a program, not a competition, and was not asked anything. Is that right?
Yes. The clearance question and any registration hold apply to competitions only.
Who do I contact if nobody can tell me what is happening?
Your sport's governing body handles all clearances. Visit the Contact Us page and select your sport.
Will I be asked this every season?
Yes, if your sport has the question switched on. Your answer is stored against each registration, so you answer it as part of the form each time.