offending club. Governing bodies usually reserve the right to waive the rule but do so only in exceptional circumstances. UEFA competitions UEFA operates European club football competitions, primarily the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. UEFA's regulations state that, with a few exceptions, players who play in any European club competition are subsequently cup-tied with respect to all European football for the remainder of the season. On 27 March 2018, UEFA announced that it would phase out the cup-tied rule for the Champions League and Europa League, starting in the 2018–2019 season. The main current exception is the UEFA Super Cup, contested by the winners of the previous seasons' Champions League and Europa League. As this is effectively a prestige friendly with only one round, the cup-tied rule is seen as unnecessary. Representing a club in this fixture does not affect a player's eligibility in other UEFA competitions. Similarly, cup-tying did not apply to matches in the now-defunct pre-season UEFA Intertoto Cup, up to the semi-final round. A further exemption applies: one player per club who would normally be cup-tied can be registered and eligible to play, so long as their previous club did not field that player in the same competition. This means that players can represent two clubs in the Europa League and Champions League, but only a maximum of one player per club. However, if the first club switches into the same competition (e.g. transfers from the Champions League to the Europa League through finishing third in the group stage), the transferred player becomes ineligible. This can lead to some complex situations. Criticism The cup-tied rule comes in for criticism from various fans and media pundits, particularly when a high-profile player is ineligible for significant matches. Some argue that the rule is antiquated and that since the introduction of transfer windows, clubs cannot buy players solely for cup matches, but will only do so for the league, where there is no cup-tied rule. Examples In the 2008 FA Cup Final against Cardiff City, and in previous rounds, former Portsmouth player Jermain Defoe was cup-tied and was unable to play. Portsmouth won the cup final . There were similar cases with Earl Barrett's transfer to 1995 FA Cup winners Everton from Aston Villa, while beaten finalists Manchester United were unable to select Andy Cole, as he had played for Newcastle United in the third round a few