Coach and player talk

The FA Coaching Pathway

August 2016 saw the FA announce the newly revised Coaching Pathway which maps the learner journey from a new coach undertaking their first course right through to the advanced qualifications required to manage at elite level.

The purpose of the new course is to create a clear introduction to the pathway, which ensures consistency in how coaching courses are delivered from grassroots to elite level of the game, linking coaching modules to the FA’s England DNA philosophy.

Coaching pathway

There are various strands to the FA’s coach education pathway.  The “core” strand consists of the FA Level 1 in Coaching Football through to the FA Level 5 (UEFA Pro) in Coaching Football. The following courses are currently delivered at county FA level:

  • FA Level 1 in Coaching Football
  • FA Level 2 in Coaching Football
  • FA Level 3 (UEFA B) in Coaching Football

Both Level 1 and Level 2 courses have evolved to help address the requirements of the modern game, and have been structured so coaches can enjoy a more flexible and personal learning experience.

The FA Level 1 course lasts 3.5 days with the majority of the course spent developing the required coaching skills on the pitch, with supportive tasks now available digitally. The new Level 2 course lasts 10 days, split over 3 different blocks of learning and has been re-shaped to better reflect what is required to coach specifically within youth football. The course combines content from the old FA level 2 certificate, with elements of the FA Youth Modules 1 and 2, alongside new content from the FA’s coach competency model.

Other strands of the coach education pathway feature specialist courses. Nottinghamshire FA currently deliver the following courses:

  • FA Level 1 in Coaching Goalkeepers
  • FA Level 2 in Coaching Goalkeepers
  • FA Level 1 in Coaching Futsal
  • FA Level 2 in Coaching Futsal
  • FA Coaching Disabled Footballers
  • FA Coaching Blind Footballers
  • FA Junior Football Leaders Course
  • FA Mentoring Adults
  • FA Referee Course
  • Notts FA Young Referee Education Programme
  • FA Level 1 Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAiF)
  • FA Level 2 Emergency First Aid in Football (EFAiF)
  • FA Safeguarding Children Workshop
  • FA Welfare Officer Workshop