The FAW's inability to always pick the best players for the national side was rooted in the Welsh game's subservience to English football. As a foreign association, the FAW had no powers to demand players employed outside Wales be released for its international games. With Wales’ best players traditionally employed by English clubs, her national team was reliant on clubs’ willingness to release players. This caused reoccurring tensions as the Football League and its clubs tried to impose their authority over the national associations.