Owners, Directors, and Senior Executives
We have published our response to the consultation on the new Owners, Directors & Senior Executives (ODSE) regime – a key element of the Football Governance Act 2025. The regime sets clear standards for those who own and lead clubs, ensuring they meet the required levels of honesty, integrity, competence and financial soundness. This supports our core aims: protecting club financial health, strengthening the long-term resilience of English football, and safeguarding the heritage of the game.
Clubs, leagues, fan groups and other stakeholders provided valuable input during the consultation, helping us refine the final rules and guidance. This includes clearer definitions of senior roles, updated terminology, greater clarity on how we will carry out assessments, and refinements to application forms and processes. Our response document explains the feedback we received and how it has shaped the final framework.
We expect to take on our new powers relating to incumbent owners and Senior Managers before the end of the year, with assessments for new owners and Senior Managers beginning in May 2026. As implementation begins, we will continue working closely with clubs, competition organisers and fans across the game.
You can access the full rules and guidance below. The draft guidance originally consulted on by the IFR, and details on how we have addressed the feedback received in the final guidance, can be found on our Engagement Tool.