Players will receive full compensation if they exercise their right to miss training sessions or matches for menstrual health reasons, one of the new regulations for women's football introduced by FIFA.
The changes to the Player Status and Transfer Regulations (RSTP), which came into effect on Saturday and were unanimously approved by FIFA's Council earlier this month, build on existing regulations first published by FIFA in November 2020.
The announcement also includes new provisions for adoptive parents and people who are not biological mothers.
The 2020 reforms that set out global minimum working conditions for athletes included a minimum 14-week maternity leave, but at the time it was only specified for athletes.
The same is allowed for coaches, with a minimum of eight weeks of paid leave granted to female athletes or coaches who adopt children under the age of two, reduced to four weeks for children between the ages of two and four and children under the age of four. For children over 4 years old, up to 2 weeks.
Jill Ellis oversaw the U.S. winning two consecutive World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, and adopted a 3-year-old daughter while coaching the U.S. college national team.
The 57-year-old, who led the technical research group at last summer's World Cup, said: “(A football career) should not be limited to being a mother and raising children, it should include that as well.”
“I couldn’t have done that and maintained my career without the support around me.
“I think this is a big statement. This is a big step and a big step forward to really normalizing the lives we go through as women.
“This is what we want to do, providing opportunities for professional athletes at all levels – club level, national team and more – to become mothers.”
Jill Ellis, former coach of the U.S. women's national team, led the World Cup technical research group last summer.
Players or coaches who are not the biological mother of their child can now request at least eight weeks of “family leave.”
The 2020 regulations allow clubs to register players outside of the designated period to temporarily replace players on maternity leave. The exception has now been expanded to include seeking representation for athletes exercising their rights to adoption or family leave. .
Players returning to soccer after pregnancy, adoption, or family leave may also register outside of the designated time period.
West Ham midfielder Dagny Brigharsdóttir, Everton forward Tony Duggan and Chelsea midfielder Melanie Rupoltz are among the Women's Super League players who have returned after giving birth, while Arsenal defender Amanda Illestedt returned in March. Announced that she is pregnant with her first child.
The new rules on menstrual health are designed to ensure athletes do not fear repercussions for missing training or matches due to related issues.
Dame Sarai Bareman, FIFA Women's Football Chief, said: “When playing sport for a living, and in a professional environment, we need to consider that a woman's menstrual cycle can also impact her ability to perform her role.
“It is therefore important that we protect those affected by the menstrual cycle in a way that does not jeopardize their employment situation within the club and ultimately their ability to earn money.”
FIFA sets out the minimum standards, but individual clubs and organizations can set more standards.
Although not mandatory, member associations were encouraged to provide a “family friendly” environment for players with children.
“At the World Cup, a player could potentially be away from their family for five or six weeks, which can be devastating not only to the player but also to the child,” Behrman added.
“Encouraging our member associations to support or provide support for mothers and parents to have their children with them during camps and tournaments is a really important step in supporting not only female athletes, but all athletes in our sport.”
