Training Rights in Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru: Andean Adaptations to the FIFA Model
By Futbol CV| Series: Training Rights in Football
This article is part of ourGlobal Guide to Training Rights in Football. Here we analyze the systems of the four Andean countries that complete the South American map.
Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru share a characteristic: training rights systems that are based on the FIFA model but with local adaptations of varying depth. None reaches the sophistication of Brazil or Argentina, but each one presents relevant particularities for professionals in the sector.
Ecuador: training up to age 21 and categorization by series
Regulatory framework
Ecuador regulates training rights through the regulations of theEcuadorian Football Federation (FEF), which establishes a compensation system for domestic transfers.
Main features
Training period:From 12 to21 years—two years less than the FIFA standard (12-23). This means that the Ecuadorian training clubs lose the possibility of claiming compensation for years 22 and 23, a period where many players are already established professionals and their transfers generate significant values.
Categorization:Clubs are classified according to the series in which they compete (Serie A, Serie B, etc.), which determines the amount of compensation per year of formation.
Solidarity mechanism:It is applied in domestic transfers with percentages aligned to the FIFA model, distributed among training clubs according to the player's years of registration.
Main challenge
The time limitation until the age of 21 represents a significant economic loss for Ecuadorian training clubs. A player who begins to generate real transfer value at the age of 22 or 23 – a very common occurrence – no longer generates training compensation for his parent clubs under domestic regulations. For international transfers, however, the FIFA period until the age of 23 continues to apply.
Venezuela: amounts in "FVF Convertible Units" and 25% of the player
Regulatory framework
Venezuela has a system of training rights regulated by theVenezuelan Football Federation (FVF), complemented by national labor legislation.
Amounts in FVF Convertible Units
The most notable — and problematic — peculiarity of the Venezuelan system is that the amounts of compensation for training are expressed in"FVF Convertible Units", an own account unit of the federation.
In a context of sustained hyperinflation, these values have been severely eroded, reducing the real value of compensation to minimal levels. A Venezuelan training club receives in practice insignificant amounts for domestic transfers — a structural problem that has no solution within the sports system but depends on the country's macroeconomic stability.
25% of the player: LOTTT
TheOrganic Law of Labor, Men and Women Workers (LOTTT)establishes that the professional player has the right to a share of the25% on training rights. This is the highest participation in Latin America — compared to 8% in Colombia and the nonexistence of this right in Argentina or Brazil.
In practice, this percentage is deducted from the compensation received by the training club, not from the total transfer price. That is, if a club must receive USD 100,000 for training rights, the player is entitled to USD 25,000 of that amount.
Simplified system
The Venezuelan system is, in general, the most simplified in South America. The categorization criteria are basic, the amounts are low (aggravated by inflation), and the FVF's institutional capacity to enforce the rules is limited.
Bolivia: textual replica with weak implementation
Regulatory framework
TheBolivian Football Federation (FBF)has adopted a transfer regulation that almost verbatim replicates the FIFA rules regarding compensation for training and solidarity mechanism.
Features
Training compensation:Follow the table of CONMEBOL categories for Bolivian clubs (predominantly Categories III and IV), with the corresponding amounts.
Solidarity mechanism:5% of the transfer price, distributed according to the standard FIFA table.
Period:12-21 years, aligned with FIFA.
The implementation problem
Institutional weakness is the main challenge of the Bolivian system. Although the rules exist on paper, the ability of the FBF and small clubs to enforce their rights is limited. Many domestic transfers occur without the training clubs receiving compensation, whether due to ignorance, lack of adequate records or inability to litigate.
At the international level, Bolivia benefits from FIFA mechanisms when its players are transferred abroad, but the Category IV assigned to the majority of Bolivian clubs involves amounts of justUSD 2,000/year— insufficient to sustain training programs.
Peru: the criteria for minutes played shared with Mexico
Regulatory framework
ThePeruvian Football Federation (FPF)regulates training rights through its registration and transfer regulations.
Particularity: the trigger for minutes played
Peru shares with Mexico an unusual activation criterion: compensation for training is not activated only with the signing of the first professional contract, but may be conditional on theaccumulation of playing minutesin professional competence.
This criterion has economic logic: it links compensation to the effective demonstration that the training produced a player suitable for professional competition, not simply one who signed a contract.
Categorization
Peruvian clubs are categorized according to the division in which they compete (League 1, League 2, etc.), with graduated amounts of training compensation.
Training period
From 12 to 21 years old, aligned with the FIFA and CONMEBOL standard.
Comparative table of the four countries
| Appearance | Ecuador | Venezuela | Bolivia | Peru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training period | 12-21 years | According to FVF regulations | 12-21 years | 12-21 years |
| Categorization | By Series (A, B, etc.) | Basic | CONMEBOL standard | By League (1, 2, etc.) |
| Player Participation | No | 25% (LOTTT) | No | No |
| Currency of amounts | USD | "FVF Convertible Units" | USD/BOB | USD/PEN |
| Main problem | Truncated period (until 21) | Inflationary erosion | Weak implementation | — |
| Special trigger | No | No | No | Minutes played |
| Domestic solidarity | 5% | Variable | 5% | 5% |
Common improvement opportunities
The four countries share challenges that could be addressed:
Digitization of records:Implement electronic registration systems (FIFA DTMS type) at the domestic level to facilitate the tracking of each player's training career and automate solidarity payments.
Training of training clubs:Many small clubs in these countries are unaware of their rights. Training programs on training rights — such as those offered by FIFA and CONMEBOL — could significantly increase legitimate claims.
Amount update:For Venezuela especially, but also for other countries, a mechanism for automatic updating of compensation amounts is necessary to protect them from monetary depreciation.
Extension of the period:Ecuador should consider extending their training period to at least 23 years of age, aligning with the FIFA standard. The two additional years represent a period of high economic value for the player.
→ Return to the Global Guide to Training Rights
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