St Johnstone boss Steve Lomas has hit out at the SPL under-21 rule, saying that instead of cultivating young talent, it is stifling it.
The regulation states that every club in the top tier needs to have three players under the age of 21 in their match-day squads.
However, Lomas believes the rule is denying youngsters the opportunity of regular football as they spend Saturdays sitting on the bench with little chance of being called into action, while seasoned older pros are left kicking their heels in the stands.
Last season, the McDiarmid Park manager farmed out Stevie May to Third Division Alloa after witnessing how frustrated the young striker had become with a lack of first-team action with Saints.
Now, Lomas is calling for an urgent rethink of the controversial rule so that other tyros do not have to suffer a similar experience.
He said: ”The under-21 rule is no use for a club like ours. Stevie wasn’t getting game time last season. When I came to the club, he looked like a guy stuck in a rut.
”He was training all week but wasn’t getting game time at the end of it and when you’re young, that starts to wear you down.
”He needed to be playing football but the club required someone to sit on the bench to make up the numbers.
”I took the decision to send him on loan and look what happened he scored a lot of goals to help Alloa win the league and was voted player of the year in Division Three.
”Going on loan was the making of Stevie. He’s blossomed since being away.
”This season coming there will be other boys put into the position he was, just warming the bench because the clubs need to keep within the rules.”