How To Become A Football Coach – Our guide shows you how to gain your football coaching qualification such as FA Level 1, Level 2 and more
If you’re looking to become a football coach, you will need to gain football caching qualifications such as Level 1, Level 2 and higher. Badges currently go from Level 1 to The FA UEFA Pro Licence. The FA provide a series of courses that deliver the guidance and knowledge to transition from an average football fan to a qualified football coach.
How Does the FA Coaching Qualifications Work?
The coaching pathway is simply a level-based progression where an individual learns about football coaching. Overall, the courses cover the different ways that players learn and develop, to pitch coaching at the right level for different players.
The FA want to ensure a continuous culture within football coaching. Above all, they propose that all aspiring coaches should learn about their Long-Term Player Development programme. Furthermore, coaches should understand how they should be addressing the ‘four corners’ of a player’s development: technical, physical, social and psychological.
Level 1 is an entry level course open to anyone over 16, meaning you need no prior experience to enter. While The FA say Level 3 course is for “Coaches working with a team of U-14s upwards in an 11 vs. 11 format.” Whereas with level 4+ you can work as a manager/coach in the professional game, or Academy Manager.
How to get your FA Coaching Level 1 Badge
The Football Association runs courses for aspiring coaches at all levels – the first two of which are offered by county FA’s in local venues. The FA Level 1 & Level 2 in Coaching Football courses are administrated by your County FA. To find your nearest County FA click here.
County FA’s are responsible for setting their own prices, venues and start dates. As a result, depending on which County FA you choose, the process of becoming a football coach can vary slightly because of the different variants involved. Similarly, the ability to book alone is something available via all County FAs.
Above all, the pathway to becoming a football coach is quite straight forward. Meaning that as long as you continue to progress along the way, gaining the necessary qualifications and experience, there should be little to no hiccups in your journey.
For example, let’s say you pay to take the FA Level 1 course. Once you’ve passed this level, you are allowed to pay again to take the FA Level 2 course. Once you’ve passed Level 2, you are then required to work or volunteer for a club to gain valuable experience which will enable you to progress up the coaching ladder further.
How much do FA football coaching badges cost?
At the time of writing, the average costs of the badges is below. However, the cost of the FA football coaching badges is subject to the County FA where you decide to take the course.
- Level 2 – £320
- UEFA B – £720
- UEFA A – £3000
There has been a lot of talk about the cost of FA coaching badges in the UK compared to other countries. Essentially, an aspiring coach would have to pay over £4000 if they went this route up the coaching ladder. However, many coaches seek financial support from their clubs to subsidise costs.
Check out the video below from Neil Ormond on how to become a football coach with many useful insights, tips and advice
