Free tool for the men's game, updated for 2026/27
Men's GBE points calculator
Put in a player's caps, minutes and clubs and it works out his GBE points under The FA's 2026/27 criteria for men's players. It tells you if he gets a GBE, and if he doesn't, whether an Exceptions Panel or the ESC route is still open.
What you'll need
- His national team's competitive matches over the last 24 months (12 if he was born in 2005 or later), and how many he played in
- The league minutes his club played over the last 12 months, and how many he played
- Continental minutes, if his club was in Europe or another continental competition
- Where his club finished last season and how far they went in a continental competition
- The league his club plays in now
The player
His age changes two things. Born in 2005 or later makes him a Youth Player: his international window drops to 12 months and a senior debut can score points. Born in 2003 or later and he can be checked for the ESC route.
Only the year matters. Both of The FA's age cut-offs fall on 1 January.
International appearances
Table 1
The share of his national team's senior competitive matches he played in over the last 24 months. Any appearance counts, even off the bench.
The FA uses an average of FIFA's rankings over the period, not this month's ranking. See The FA's 24-month list.
Domestic league minutes
Table 2
League minutes over the last 12 months, as a share of the minutes his club played, less any minutes he was unavailable for. Played for more than one club, or spent time without one? Add each club with the days he was registered there and it weights them the way The FA does.
Leave blank if he was there for the whole 12 months.
Added time and play-offs included.
Injury, suspension or international call-ups. An unused sub doesn't count, unless it was part of an injury comeback the club can evidence.
Continental minutes
Table 3
Minutes in a continental competition over the last 12 months, from the group or league stage onwards. Qualifiers don't count here. Skip this step if his club wasn't in one.
His last club's league finish
Table 4
Where his club finished last season. If he moved during the season, it's the club he finished the season with.
If more than one applies, pick the one higher up the list.
His last club's continental run
Table 5
How far that same club went in a continental competition last season. If he's already played in a continental competition that started this season, that run can be used instead.
His current club's league
Table 6
The club he's registered with now. If the application goes in after his club's season has finished, use the club he finished the season with.
ESC check
Appendix 1
If he falls short, the Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) route is the other way in for a young player. These count matches over the last 24 months. Any appearance counts.
Add his year of birth in step 1 to see if the ESC route applies.
How GBE points work
A GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) is what an English club needs from The FA before it can sign a player who needs a visa to play here. Since Brexit that covers most players from outside the UK and Ireland, EU players included.
There are two ways to get one outright. The first is an Auto Pass: play in a big enough share of your national team's competitive matches and you're through, whatever else you've done. The second is points. The FA scores six things, and 15 points or more is a pass.
International appearances can give up to 10 points (or the Auto Pass). League minutes give up to 12, continental minutes up to 10, your last club's league finish up to 6, its continental run up to 10, and the standard of your current club's league up to 12. Most of them depend on which band the league is in.
The six tables
Tap a table to open it. Each percentage is rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounding up.
Table 1: International appearances
| Appearances | Rank 1-10 | Rank 11-20 | Rank 21-30 | Rank 31-50 | Rank 51+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90-100% | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | 2 |
| 80-89% | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | 1 |
| 70-79% | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | 0 |
| 60-69% | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | 10 | 0 |
| 50-59% | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| 40-49% | Auto Pass | Auto Pass | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 30-39% | Auto Pass | 10 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| 20-29% | 10 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19% | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1-9% | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Table 2: Domestic league minutes
| Minutes | Band 1 | Band 2 | Band 3 | Band 4 | Band 5 | Band 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90-100% | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 80-89% | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 70-79% | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 60-69% | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 50-59% | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 40-49% | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30-39% | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20-29% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1-9% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Youth Player debut | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Table 3: Continental minutes
| Minutes | Band 1 comp | Band 2 comp | Band 3 comp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90-100% | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 80-89% | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 70-79% | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 60-69% | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 50-59% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 40-49% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 30-39% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 20-29% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1-9% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Band 1 is the Champions League and Copa Libertadores. Band 2 is the Europa League, Conference League, Copa Sudamericana and Club World Cup. Every other continental competition is Band 3.
Table 4: Last club's final league position
| Finish | B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | B5 | B6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title winner | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Qualified for the group or league stage of a Band 1 continental competition, or won a conference | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Qualified for the qualifiers of a Band 1 continental competition | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Qualified for the group or league stage of a Band 2 continental competition | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Qualified for the qualifiers of a Band 2 continental competition | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mid-table | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Relegated | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Promoted | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Table 5: Last club's continental progression
| Stage | Band 1 comp | Band 2 comp | Band 3 comp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final | 10 | 7 | 2 |
| Semi-finals | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| Quarter-finals | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Round of 16 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Round of 32 or knockout phase play-offs | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Group stage or league phase (or an earlier round of a knockout-only competition) | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Qualifiers only, or did not take part | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Table 6: Current club's league
| League band | Points |
|---|---|
| Band 1 | 12 |
| Band 2 | 10 |
| Band 3 | 8 |
| Band 4 | 6 |
| Band 5 | 4 |
| Band 6 | 2 |
Which league is in which band
Every league not listed in Bands 1 to 5 is Band 6.
Band 1
Premier League (England), Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), Ligue 1 (France)
Band 2
Primeira Liga (Portugal), Eredivisie (Netherlands), Belgian First Division A, Brasileirao Serie A (Brazil), EFL Championship (England)
Band 3
Major League Soccer (USA), Primera Division (Argentina), Liga MX (Mexico), Super Lig (Turkey), Scottish Premiership
Band 4
Czech First League, Croatian First Football League, Swiss Super League, La Liga 2 (Spain), 2. Bundesliga (Germany), Ukrainian Premier League, Greek Super League, Categoria Primera A (Colombia), Austrian Bundesliga, Danish Superliga, Russian Premier League, J1 League (Japan), Ligue 2 (France)
Band 5
Serbian SuperLiga, Ekstraklasa (Poland), Primera Division (Chile), Primera Division (Uruguay), Allsvenskan (Sweden), Eliteserien (Norway), Serie B (Italy), Nemzeti Bajnoksag I (Hungary), K League 1 (South Korea), A-League (Australia), EFL League One (England)
Band 6
All other leagues, including EFL League Two and the National League.
When he's short of 15 points
If a player has 10 to 14 points, the club can ask for an Exceptions Panel. It has to show that exceptional circumstances, like a long injury, stopped him reaching 15, and that he'd have got there without them. It costs £5,000 plus VAT and The FA still has the final say.
If he doesn't get there, the ESC route (Elite Significant Contribution) is open to players born in 2003 or later. He needs to have done one of eight things in the last 24 months, from a single youth international for a top-50 nation to five league games in a Band 1 to 5 league. The club also has to show The FA he's an elite player who'll make a significant contribution, and it needs a free ESC place.
And if he's a Youth Player (born in 2005 or later), the club can ask an Exceptions Panel to look at him on potential alone. If that works, he takes up an ESC place.
If none of those work, the club can't apply for him again in the same transfer window unless his circumstances change.
- 1+ youth competitive international for a top-50 nation
- 5+ youth competitive internationals for a nation outside the top 50
- 1+ continental youth competition match
- 5+ domestic youth competition matches
- 1+ senior competitive international for a top-50 nation
- 5+ senior competitive internationals for a nation outside the top 50
- 1+ match in a continental competition
- 5+ domestic senior competition matches in a Band 1-5 league
Keeping up with the changes
The rules change every summer, the bands move, and they often arrive late. In 2026 the new criteria came out in June, after the window had started. To stay on top of it, follow Andy Watson and subscribe to the GBE Expert Hub. He breaks down every change and what it means for clubs and players, and he's run two sessions on it for the Recruitment Room.
Questions people ask
How many points do you need for a GBE?
15 points under The FA's 2026/27 criteria, unless the player gets an Auto Pass on international appearances. With 10 to 14 points the club can ask for an Exceptions Panel.
Who needs a GBE?
Any player joining a Premier League or EFL club who isn't a UK or Irish citizen and doesn't have permanent residence, settled or pre-settled status. Clubs below the EFL can't use the GBE system at all.
What is an ESC player?
ESC stands for Elite Significant Contribution. It lets Premier League and EFL clubs sign a limited number of young players, born in 2003 or later, who don't have the GBE points. Premier League and Championship clubs can have up to four ESC places, League One and League Two clubs up to two.
Does a loan count?
A loan into England from a club abroad needs a GBE, the same as a permanent move. A loan between two English clubs doesn't need a new one. And a player out on loan at a lower-band club gets his parent club's band for the current club points, as long as he's played for the parent club's first team in the last 12 months.
Does this work for women's football?
No. This is the men's calculator. The FA publishes separate GBE criteria for the WSL and WSL2, with different points and bands.
Does this work for Scottish clubs?
No. This calculator uses The FA’s criteria for clubs in England. The Scottish FA runs its own GBE criteria for clubs in Scotland.
Is this the official FA calculation?
No. It follows The FA's published 2026/27 criteria, but The FA decides every application from the club's own figures and spreadsheet. Use it to see where a player stands before anyone spends £500 plus VAT on an application.
Who's behind it
I'm Liam Henshaw, a recruitment analyst and scout at a football agency. Before that I worked in recruitment at a Scottish Premiership club, where I built the tool we used to work out GBE points and led our GBE appeal panels. I also run the Recruitment Room, a community of people making the move into scouting and recruitment.
