The FA's 2009/10 handbook can be found here:
http://thefa.com/TheFA/RulesandRegu..._CROP.ashx/FA_Handbook_Full_Proof_NO_CROP.pdf
From page 614:
6.4.4 Short Term Loan Transfers – Loans of Contract Players shall be allowed to or from clubs in
membership of:
• The FA Premier League Limited
• The Football League Limited
• The Football Conference Limited
• The Isthmian Football League Limited
• The Northern Premier Football League Limited
• The Southern Football League Limited
• Any other Leagues which have been authorised by The FA as shown in Appendix [ ].
on such terms and conditions as shall be mutually agreed by the two clubs and the Player
For transfers between Clubs in the same Competition the transfer must be completed on
the National League System Temporary Transfer Form and for transfers between Clubs in
different Competitions the transfer must be completed on FA Form H3.
The Competition shall not approve more than TWO short term loan transfers to or from
any one club including FA Premier League or Football League clubs at any one time.
A Club can have up to a MAXIMUM of 12 Players on short term loan during the season.
The minimum period of a short term loan transfer must be 28 days with
a maximum of 93
days in any one season.
Short term loan transfers which become permanent before their expiry date shall not count
against a Club’s quota of days or Players.
A Player whose contract registration is cancelled by mutual consent and immediately reregistered
by the same or a different Club on a Non-Contract basis shall not subsequently
be registered as a contract Player for the same Club within three months of the date of the
cancellation except with the consent of the Board.
On completing the National League System Temporary Transfer Form or FA form H3, a Club
must send the top copy to The FA, one copy to the Company and the third copy to the
secretary of the league with which the Player is registered.
To extend the period of any short term loan transfer a further National League System
Temporary Transfer Form or FA form H3 must be completed, with copies sent as provided
above.
The Player being taken on short or long term loan must sign a Competition contract
registration form, which will be valid for the full period of the loan, including any extension
to the loan period. The standard Competition cancellation form must be used to
prematurely end the temporary transfer period.
The short term transfer of a Player to a Club must be completed and registered with the
Company at least [ ] hours before the scheduled time of the kick-off of the fi rst match in
which the Player is required to play.
If the short term loan transfer is extended, only the Club for whom the Player was originally
registered will be allowed to cancel the agreement at any time within the extension period.
In the case of a goalkeeper, Clubs may mutually agree, if they so wish, to include a recall
clause in the agreement to enable the Club for whom the Player was originally registered to
recall the Player at any time during the loan period. Players, other than goalkeepers, may
NOT be recalled within the fi rst month (i.e. 28 days) of any loan period.
Any short term loan transfer which may terminate after the last day for registrations (Rule
6.5) may be extended for a further period.
The short term loan transfer of a Player must be continuous. If the same Player is taken
on loan at a later date, this second loan period will count against the permitted number of
short term loan transfers.
A Player cannot play for a Club on a short term loan for more than 93 days in any one
Season.
6.4.5 Long Term Loan Transfers shall be for a Playing Season or from the commencement of the
Playing Season to 31st December or from 1st January (the January Transfer Window) to the
end of the Playing Season. The Board may approve loans between Clubs in membership
of the competitions referred to in Rule 6.4.4 in respect of Players aged 24 and under on or
before 30th June prior to the commencement of the Playing Season and provided the loan
is registered by four (4) hours before the Club’s fi rst fi xture of its Playing Season or from
any date between the commencement of a Membership Year to the 31st August in that
Membership Year to any date between 1st and 31st January following or from any date
between 1st and 31st January in a Membership Year to the end of that Playing Season
relative to the Club taking him on loan.
A Player on long term loan may not be recalled except for a goalkeeper or where the Player
is to be transferred permanently by the Club holding his registered contract. A Player other
than a goalkeeper so recalled cannot be permitted to play for the Club holding his
registration after such recall until the end of the Season. Players so recalled can only be
replaced by a further long term loan with permission from the Company. Long term loans
transfers will not count against the number of short term loans in Rule 6.4.4.