Are you looking for a fulfilling career in football coaching? As you can imagine getting to the top of the

Being a professional football coach is almost as competitive to get into as being a professional football player, so its important that not only does your CV stand out, but that you can demonstrate your experience is thorough and your qualifications are up to date and in depth.

Here is a great video about becoming a football coach.

Below, we have taken you through how to become a football coach to work in professional football. There are 5 key take outs that you will learn from this article in order to help you succeed and become a football coach. These are:

• How to make your Football Coach CV stand out
• FREE CV template for football coaches
• How to become an FA Licensed Coach
• FA Football Coaching Qualifications
• UEFA Football Coaching Qualifications

Football Coaching Qualifications

There are 2 ways to help your football coaching CV stand out:

• By showcasing the football coaching qualifications you have and ensuring that you have completed the official UEFA or FA Football Coaching courses (see complete list below)
• By becoming an official FA Liscenced coach

How to Become an FA Licensed Coach

The world’s best football coaches never stand still, and continually develop themselves and their knowledge for football to help inspire and lead their teams.

To successfully develop a diverse football team, its important to understand player individuality, and be creative, imaginative, flexible and adaptable as a coach so that your team can be too. The FA’s official Licensed Coaches’ Club helps develop your coaching potential, and keep you up to date and with on-going training and development throughout your career for free, so joining will communicate to potential employers that you are serious about your ongoing coaching career.

All members qualify for the below benefits:

• Members only website with session plans, interviews and videos
• Ballot entry for 100 pairs of tickets to every England home game
• Access to FREE local CPD events
• Discounts on FA national courses
• FREE access to TactX – UEFA’s animation software
• Discounts on Wembley Tours, FocusX2, and much more
• Photo ID Licence

To become an FA Licensed Football Coach visit:
www.thefa.com/st-georges-park/fa-learning/fa-licensed-coaches-club
TheFA.com/LicensedCoachesClub

How to Become a Football Coach – FA Coaching Qualifications

To help your football coaching CV stand out from the competition you will need to demonstrate your coaching knowledge by obtaining the official courses made by the FA (Football Association).

Below is a complete list of all the football coaching qualifications offered by the FA and recognised across the globe as being the official coaching standards used by all football clubs governed by the FA.

You can sign up to any of these courses by visiting:
www.thefa.com/st-georges-park/fa-learning/fa-national-courses

Core Football Coaching Qualifications

• The FA Level 1 Award in Coaching Football
• The FA Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football
• The FA UEFA B Licence
• The FA UEFA A Licence
• The FA UEFA Pro Licence

Youth Football Coaching Qualifications

• The FA Youth Award Module 1
• The FA Youth Award Module 2
• The FA Youth Award Module 3
• The FA Youth Award Assessment
• The FA Advanced Youth Award

Goalkeeping Football Coaching Qualifications

• The FA Goalkeeping Coaching Award: Level 1
• The FA Goalkeeping Coaching Award: Level 2
• The FA Goalkeeping B Licence
• The FA Goalkeeping A Licence

Additional Football Coaching Course Provisions

• The FA Developing Defenders
• The FA Developing Midfielders
• The FA Developing Forwards
• The FA Coaching Futsal: Level 1
• The FA Coaching Futsal: Level 2
• Coaching Players with Disabilities courses

Refereeing Football Qualifications

• The FA Basic Referee Training Course
• The FA Mini Soccer Referees Course

Medical Pathway in Football Coaching Qualifications

• The FA Emergency Aid (EA) Course
• The FA Emergency Aid Bridging Document
• The FA Basic First Aid For Sport (BFAS) Course
• The FA Intermediate First Aid for Sport (IFAS) Course
• The FA Advanced Resuscitation and Emergency Aid (AREA) Course
• The FA Advanced Resuscitation and Emergency Aid (AREA (R)) Re-accreditation Course
• MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Exercise and Sports Medicine (Football)

Physical Performance Pathway Qualifications

• The FA Applied Anthropometry for Football
• The FA Physical Performance Level 3 Award

Psychology Pathway Qualifications

• The FA Level 2 Award – Talent Development
• The FA Level 3 Award – Mental Toughness
• The FA Level 4 Award – Mental Skills on the Pitch
• The FA Level 5 Award – Advanced Team Preparation

Other Football Coaching Qualifications

• The FA Safeguarding Children Workshop
• The FA Welfare Officer Workshop
• The FA Developing the Developers
• Digital Support and Online Courses
• Football Industries MBA (FIMBA)
• Perform Sports Science

UEFA Coaching Qualifications

As well as The FA, UEFA also govern professional football to develop consistency across the worldwide game. As part of this they issue mandatory coaching qualifications for professional coaches that must be completed.
If you are serious about coaching, you will need to begin to complete these courses, and even if you currently play football and want to transition into coaching, you will still be required to complete the official UEFA courses.

The UEFA Coaching Qualifications

• Level 5 – UEFA Pro Licence
  (Course topics on how to manage)
  The Level 5 UEFA Pro Licence is mandatory for any football coach managing in the FA Premier League and UEFA competitions
  Candidate can only take this course by invitation only and complete it in 12 months
• Level 4, UEFA A Licence
  (Course topics on phases of play, 9v9 games and 11v11 match play)
  The Level 4, UEFA A Licence is ideal for any football manager or coach in a professional team or professional academy
  Candidate complete this course in 24 months
• Level 3, UEFA B Licence
  (Course topics include the practical side at functional practices, small-sided games (8v8) and phases of play (attack against defence). The classroom elements look in more depth at sports psychology, periodisation of training and player mental and physical fitness.)
  The Level 3, UEFA B Licence is ideal for any football manager or coach working in a Centre of Excellence or professional academy
  Candidate complete this course in 12-18 months
• Level 2 – Certificate in Coaching Football
  (Course topics combine classroom workshops with on field practical football coaching. To join this course you need to find a football team to work with in order to practice coaching and log coaching hours. You will also study football techniques, skills and 4v4 small-sided games, child protection and emergency aid and a basic Laws of the Game module.)
  The Level 2 – Certificate in Coaching Football is ideal for any football manager or coach working in a Football in the Community foundation, local authorities, US soccer camps
  Most Candidates complete this course in 24 months, although you can complete an intense course in 6 months
• Level 1
  (Course topics on techniques, skills and 4v4 games)
  The Level 1 in football coaching is ideal for local community work, although it is not mandatory. It offers an introduction to football for any manager or coach, and is run by your local FA (Football Association)
  Candidates complete this course in 4 weeks

All coaches or managers that intend to work with a PFA Coaching Department must have their level 2 Licence, although it is not mandatory to also have the Level 1 licence.