Why age limit on olympic football

The Olympic Games in Atlanta was where the final rule was established, allowing teams to include three players older than the year-old age restriction. It was also the first Olympics with women's soccer. Skip to main content. Getty Images. Ike Hartman July 23, Why is there an Olympic soccer age limit for the men, explained. Full screen. When did Michael Phelps retire? How many medals did he win?

How much do the medical personnel get paid? The Manchester City star was born April 3, , and thus would have become an over-age exception if FIFA pushed the birthdate rule back a year. Instead, Brazil could name him to the Olympic team and still keep all of its over-age exceptions.

However, players need permission from their professional club teams to play in the Olympics, often limiting the availability of stars. For these Olympic games though, the age ceiling for men's soccer has been raised by FIFA from 23 to 24 years old — a change that was made to incorporate athletes who were deprived of the opportunity to compete last summer. This means any player born on or after Jan.

Teams are still allowed three over-age players. All players also still need permission from their clubs to compete at the Games — further limiting the number of well-known players on the pitch.