The summary of the direction for Thai League football across all three levels in the new season includes several interesting points.
One of these is Thai League 3's requirement that every club must field at least two players aged 21 or younger, known as U21, in their starting eleven.
This is a newly reconsidered approach; previously, the rule mandated U23 players, but for the next season, the age limit has been lowered to U21.
The main reason is to increase opportunities for Thailand's young rising stars to get more playing time.
Of course, this is a good policy, but there are many viewpoints suggesting the need for more detailed regulations.
To explain, Thai League has long had competition regulations requiring teams to field young players.
Back when Thai League 4 existed, there was a mandate to field both U21 and U23 players simultaneously before it was adjusted to only U23.
However, the problem is that many clubs have not seriously committed to developing young players.
In many matches, U23 players do start in the first eleven, but as soon as the game begins, they are immediately substituted out.
As a result, the intention to give young players valuable playing time has not been as beneficial as hoped.
Those involved in the lower leagues who have witnessed these situations feel that simply lowering the age to U21 won't change much.
Many suggest that to be effective, there should be a rule specifying how many minutes U21 players must actually spend on the field.
This perspective is interesting, but whether it can be implemented is doubtful, as even enforcing two U21 starters already causes difficulties for many teams.
This issue reflects differing viewpoints; everyone wants Thai football to develop, but all aspects must be carefully considered.
Requiring every team to have two U21 players in the starting lineup is likely a good starting point, but efforts must continue to maximize its benefits.
The most important point is that the U21 players each team is required to start should be among the first choices for Thailand's national team at this age level.
This would resolve the problem of clubs refusing to release players for national duty in tournaments like the Asian Games, SEA Games, or U23 competitions.
When the U23 mandate was first introduced in Thai League 3, a key reason was to expand options for the national team.
However, so far, players from lower leagues have rarely been selected; the national team still mainly draws from Thai League 1 and Thai League 2.
This is understandable, as coaching staff naturally want the best players for the national team, given the high stakes of every tournament.
But from another angle, this raises the question: why enforce U23 or U21 rules in Thai League 3 if those players are not further developed or integrated?
The issue of clubs not releasing players is frequently discussed, especially since U23 competitions are not on FIFA international dates that require mandatory release.
Therefore, personally, I believe the national team should place greater importance on Thai League 3 and reward clubs that focus on player development.
For instance, if a club's U21 player is called up to the national team, that club should be exempt from the requirement to field U21 players in league matches while the player is on national duty.
This could serve as an incentive for clubs to seriously invest in developing U21 players, rather than just fulfilling a quota.
Regarding increasing the number of U21 or U23 players required in Thai League 3, many people empathize with older players who might be affected.
Currently, playing opportunities for Thai players in their domestic leagues are already limited.
Next season, Thai League will increase the foreign player quota to 10, and some local players are already struggling to secure places; salaries around 200,000-300,000 baht are under pressure.
Many clubs prioritize foreign players at this wage level; this is not speculation but information from agents.
As a result, many Thai players choose to play in Thai League 2 due to better salaries and more playing time.
This means more Thai players are moving to lower leagues, so if Thai League 3 restricts age quotas too much, many players will be unemployed.
All leagues are interconnected and form the foundation for developing Thai football as a whole system.
The U21 mandate in Thai League 3 is a good start, but adding more detailed requirements could better achieve the intended benefits.
Bubble