Football Contracts for Underage Players

[Soccer Mom]

Does anyone have any experience of when underage players sign for a professional club? I know that minors can't enter into a legally binding contract so how do clubs protect themselves, when they 'sign' (say) a 16 year old, from another club just snapping them up when the reach the age of majority?

[the 12 th man]

Does anyone have any experience of when underage players sign for a professional club? I know that minors can't enter into a legally binding contract so how do clubs protect themselves, when they 'sign' (say) a 16 year old, from another club just snapping them up when the reach the age of majority?

I'd say they're "signed" before 16 most of the time,I see scouts from English teams at under 12 & 13 games in Dublin area frequently,certainly contact made with parents of players at that stage at least.