The purpose of
this paper is to produce a Youth Football Factsheet on Academies
and Centres of Excellence for youth football. Professional
football clubs youth development departments are either run as
Academies (under the overall control of FA Premier League) or
Centre of Excellence (organised by the Football League). The
rules governing both are very similar.
All FA Premier League
Clubs are encouraged to operate a Football Academy. Clubs
operating a Football Academy may not operate a Centre of
Excellence.
Scout qualifications
· There
is a FA Charter for Talent Identification and Development which
includes training for scouts
· All
scouts registered with clubs should attend the training
· A
scout’s identity can be verified via the Head of Youth
recruitment at the professional club
Scout conduct at matches
1. The
scout must introduce himself to the manager / coach
2. He/She
must be of smart appearance and be able to provide proof of the
club they represents
3. If
the scout is interested in a player s/he can only take matters
forward if the player is not registered with another academy or
centre of excellence
4. If
neither of the parents is present the scout can give his/her
card to the manager/coach who will then pass it on so that the
parent can telephone the scout
5. The
scout is not allowed to speak directly to the player without the
parent being present
6. The
scout cannot guarantee the player a trial. This invitation must
come from the Head of Youth Recruitment
7. The
manager/coach can be reported to the FA if they refuse to
speak to the scout
Trails and Contracts
1.
The
professional club will provide 7 day notice of approach to
the Sunday/Saturday club
2.
The player
will be taken on a trial period of up to six weeks
3.
A trial form
and disclaimer / medical form will be signed by the player
4.
If the trial
is successful, an Under 12 player can be signed for 1 year
and an Over 12 for two years
5.
For a player
to be released by the professional club he must be
de-registered
Coaching Requirements
Under 9 –
Under 11
3 hours (divided into 2 sessions) per week
Under 12 –
Under 16 5 hours (divided into 3 sessions) per week
Games Programme
Under
9 – Under 11
Minimum 24
Maximum 30 (all small sided)
Under
12 – Under 16 Minimum 24
Maximum 30
· Players
registered with an academy can only play in authorised games
organised by the academy
· A
Centre of Excellence manager may permit a registered player
to play games in local youth leagues and to participate in
professional clubs’ community football academies if
sufficient games have been organised.
· Football
academies cannot affiliate to any other youth leagues
Release Procedures
· When a player
is released from his contract his details are circulated to
other clubs
· The Football
League organises exit trials for boys released from
Academies at Under 16 level
Satellite Centres
·
These operate
under identical conditions to Academies and Centres of
Excellence.
Development Centres
· A
club cannot operate a Development Centre more than one hour’s
travelling distance from its main centre
· No
registered players are allowed at Development Centres
· A
team representing a Development Centre cannot play against a
team representing the Development Centre of another club
· Development Centres cannot forbid a player from representing his
Saturday / Sunday club
· The
FA Premier League is planning to monitor Development Centres
based on :
o
Registration
o
Facilities
o
Insurance
o
Child protection
o
Medical issues
Complaints
Should be made
directly to FA Premier League (Academies) or Football League
(Centres of Excellence) providing the necessary
details.
Summary of Playing in
EBFA
· Players registered with an academy cannot play
EBFA authorised
games.
· A
Centre of Excellence manager may permit a registered player to
play games in EBFA if they are registered with EBFA.
· Football academies and centre of excellence teams cannot join
EBFA.
· Clubs registering
and/or playing
ineligible players with the league
will be dealt with under Rule 8(r).
Further References
The FA Programme for Excellence -
Link
Academies – Ascot United’s view -
Link
Ian Nile
-
EBFA – Chairman
- 09-Dec-07
