Fiji Football Association (Fiji FA) council has ruled that local players who featured for Bula FC in the OFC Pro League will not be eligible to transfer during the mid‑season window next month and must return to their respective district teams, the body confirmed following a council meeting on January 11.
Fiji FA chief executive Mohammed Yusuf said the decision means Bula FC’s domestic contingent will bolster their home districts ahead of the BiC Fiji FACT. After serving a mandatory 30‑day stand‑down period following the Pro League campaign, those players will be eligible to play amateur football from June 18 — effectively one day before the FACT kicks off in Labasa. “That is a day before Fiji FACT, so they can be re‑registered in the COMET for their own district,” Yusuf said, noting that players who represented Rewa, for example, will be able to rejoin Rewa’s FACT squad rather than move elsewhere during the mid‑season window.
The Fiji FA’s COMET registration system will be used to process the returns, with district administrators able to re‑register former Bula FC players as amateur participants for the tournament. The council’s approval aims to preserve district team integrity for the FACT while ensuring players complete a cooling‑off interval after provincial participation in a professional competition.
The ruling formalises an expectation that had been under discussion since the OFC Pro League and clarifies eligibility rules for what promises to be a tightly contested FACT. Bula FC’s use of local talent in the Pro League had already raised questions about how quickly those players could revert to district duty; the council’s January decision brings certainty to coaches and administrators preparing final FACT rosters.
The timing means several districts stand to gain experienced personnel within a narrow window ahead of their first fixtures. Organisers and broadcasters have already locked in coverage: Radio Fiji Two will carry live commentary of the Labasa versus Rewa match at Subrail Park on Saturday, one of the marquee fixtures of the opening weekend.
The Fiji FA also confirmed the weekend’s Extra Premier League schedule. Nadi host Suva on Friday at 7pm; Labasa face Rewa at Subrail Park on Saturday at 1:15pm; Navua meet Nadroga at the Uprising Sports Complex at 3pm. Sunday’s fixtures begin at 11am with Lautoka hosting Tailevu Naitasiri, followed by Ba versus Nasinu at Govind Park at 3pm.
The council decision is the latest development in eligibility rules ahead of a busy mid‑year domestic calendar that now includes the return of Pro League players to district competition under a defined timeline and registration process.