Cap-tied

Cap-tied is an adjective, used primarily in association football, to describe a player who has represented a senior national football team in more than three games (including at least one competitive game) and as a result is unable to represent another FIFA-affiliated national team.

In general, a player is "cap-tied" once they have played in an official competition for the senior national team.

An example of this is Jermaine Jones, who had played three friendlies for Germany in 2008 but started competing for the United States in 2010.

In some instances, players have sought refuge in another country after having represented their national team in an official competition.

In the 21st century, Spanish players may represent their autonomous community (or Menorca) in friendly matches while playing for the Spain national team; the only way players can represent multiple nations at a senior competitive level is British players representing their national team (England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland) and Great Britain at the Olympics.