How to check whether a trial is real

If you are trying to get overseas, people will offer to help. Some of them mean it. A lot of them want a fee first.

There is an industry built on hope. Agents who are not licensed. Trials that no club actually asked for. Academies that promise exposure and deliver a week of training on a public pitch.

This section is for checking before you pay.

What to ask before any money moves. What a real invitation looks like next to a marketing email. What the rules actually say about who is allowed to represent a player. What has already gone wrong for other people.

We will name things where we can and describe them where we cannot. If you have been burnt, tell us. We will write it up without your name on it.