In the wake of the allegations about the ineligibility of two players in Dosti Amsterdam’s promotion-winning side and concerns over the administration of its dispensation system, the KNCB Board has developed radical proposals for a change to the way in which eligibility to take part in its top divisions is defined and controlled.

The role of overseas players in the Dutch league has been a topic of debate for years, and was given additional sharpness last season when two overseas first-class players with Dutch passports, South Australia’s Tom Cooper and Otago’s Derek de Boorder, were allowed to take part in the Topklasse, in apparent violation of the current rules.

According to the papers for this Thursday’s meeting between the Bond and representatives of the Topklasse, Hoofdklasse and Eerste Klasse clubs, there are three broad alternatives: continuation of the existing system (though perhaps in a tighter form); complete abolition of any regulations; or a new, more manageable system for both clubs and the KNCB.

One possibility – and by implication the Board’s proposal – would be to require clubs in the top three divisions to put forward a list of not more than, say, 25 players for the season, to which they would then be restricted. The only permitted additions would be youth players who had appeared in the Bond’s youth competitions in the two previous seasons.

The lists would indicate which players held Dutch passports, and in any match a club would not be permitted to include more than four non-Dutch players, including the player-coach. There would also be passport photographs of all players on the list, and it would be the responsibility of the umpires to check the starting eleven to ensure that the regulations were being observed.

For Second elevens taking part in one of the top three divisions, the clubs would submit a subsidiary list of a further ten or 15 players. In these sides, it is suggested, up to five players without a Dutch passport, again including a player-coach, might be included in any team.

A further proposal is that players who do not hold a Dutch passport should be defined as Dutch for eligibility purposes, provided they have taken part in the KNCB competition for the three previous seasons, and played in at least eight matches in 2010. They would then be required to play in at least eight games each season in order to retain their ‘Dutch’ status.

Such a system would undoubtedly be more transparent than the existing arrangements, although it would still require more effective administrative back-up than the Bond has been able to muster until now.

It remains to be seen how the clubs will respond, but recent events have persuaded many that fundamental change is needed, and the Board’s proposals seem to strike a fair balance between the desire of some for a completely open system – which runs the risk of restricting opportunities for young Dutch-produced players as clubs attempt to buy success – and the belief of others that the influence of overseas players has gone too far in recent seasons.