England Football Accreditation is the new framework for Club and League accreditation, which replaced FA Charter Standard.

England Football Accreditation has been designed to help clubs and leagues create the experiences and environments where players, coaches, officials, referees, volunteers, and spectators can thrive and enjoy being involved in the game. Accreditation is a clear signal to your club community that you value the importance of being an accessible, safe, and sustainable club or league. All accredited clubs offer a consistent standard on and off the pitch, with ‘stars’ used in accreditation to recognise clubs that provide more opportunities for more people to play.

Whilst England Football Accreditation was automatically awarded to all clubs and leagues that previously held FA Charter Standard, the re-validation for Accredited clubs in the 2022/23 season will open on November 1st, 2022, and end on April 30th, 2023. Through this process all existing Accredited clubs will need to adhere to criteria where the rules are non-negotiable or provide comment against rules that are a declaration of their commitment to satisfying criteria. The criteria include, but is not limited to:

1. Player Pathways:

   On-pitch and off-pitch criteria is the foundation to providing safe, respectful, and inclusive pathways and environments for the game of football in Guernsey.

   •            One Star – To be a one-star Accredited Club, you must offer a minimum of one affiliated male or female or disability team at any age group playing within an FA sanctioned League competition.

   •            Two Star – To be a two-star Accredited Club, you must offer a complete accredited player pathway for either male or female or disability football, all playing within FA sanctioned League competitions. In addition, offer a minimum of one team at any age group from an alternative pathway.

   •            Three Star – To be a three-star Accredited Club, you must offer the complete accredited player pathway for both male and female whilst offering a minimum of one disability team at any age group, all playing within FA sanctioned League competitions.

2. Club Plans:

   For England Football Accredited clubs, having a strong season plan or club development plan will help you to be more sustainable, more resilient and built to last.

   •            For 1 star England Football Accredited clubs, it is recommended to have a season plan in place.

   •            For 2 star and 3-star England Football Accredited clubs it is recommended to have a club development plan in place

3. Coach Qualifications:

•            Adult teams – should have a named individual that has completed the Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAIF). If this person is a player, an additional person is required.

•            Youth teams – to have at least one coach or manager with the Introduction to Coaching Football (I2CF) per team, with in-date Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAIF) and Safeguarding Children Course (SCC). A qualified coach or manager must be present at training and fixtures.

The FA has developed resources and tools to help clubs with the England Accreditation re-validation process and the attached document provides some guidance for your club. In addition, click here for further support, including templates for club development plans.

For more information about England Accreditation, please contact the Guernsey FA Football Development Officer, Angus Mackay; angus.mackay@guernseyfa.com