On 17 and 18 July, FIFA hosted its second National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC) workshop in Panama City, Panama, since the programme’s inaugural event held in South Africa in May.

NDRCs are arbitration tribunals, based on the principle of equal representation of clubs and players, to offer players and clubs an efficient and affordable mechanism to handle disputes regarding employment and contractual stability as well as those concerning training compensation and solidarity contributions.

During FIFA’s two-day workshop, the first of its kind in the Americas, member associations, clubs and players’ representatives from Ecuador, Honduras, Panama and Paraguay were joined by representatives of football’s global stakeholders: FIFPro, World Leagues Forum, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

Participants worked constructively to discuss the status of dispute resolutions involving clubs and players and to define the next steps to set up, or review, the structures of each of the four nations' NDRCs, in accordance with FIFA’s National Dispute Resolution Chamber Standard Regulations. Following the successful completion of FIFA’s first pilot project in Costa Rica, the kick-off of NDRC programmes in Ecuador, Honduras, Panama and Paraguay represents a further step to modernising social relations between clubs and players in the Americas.

Bringing together global and national stakeholders, NDRC workshops provide a unique platform to promote stakeholder cooperation as a driver of football’s growth and professionalisation, with the ultimate goal of safeguarding the interests of players and clubs off the field.

The global implementation of NDRCs is managed by FIFA’s Professional Football Department, with the assistance of the Players' Status Department. The programme will continue with the organisation of further workshops and the involvement of more member associations in the coming months.

In addition to the NDRC implementation programme, FIFA’s Professional Football Department, in conjunction with confederations, provides comprehensive services to expand club licensing worldwide and strategic advice to assist with the effective professionalisation of clubs and leagues at domestic level.