The Basics - Running a Team

Manager’s Checklist: 

  • Have you (and any other adults who will be helping with the team) got a valid club CRB check? This is absolutely essential.
  • Have all your players registered with the club and paid their membership fees? Club Records must be maintained.  The league will request evidience of Club Records throughout the season.
  • Do you have a coach associated with your team who has the FA Level 1 qualification (including the First Aid and Safeguarding Children modules)?
  • Has your Club Secratary registered your teams on your Club Portal (WGS)? If you have 2 teams in one age group then you must regsitered both teams (with individual team names) on to your Club Portal.
  • Has your Club (Typically team Managers) registered your players on the FA Whole Game System (WGS)?
  • Have you registered with the Taunton & District Youth league? – completed the league application form
  • Have you registered your team players with a league? – via your club portal
  • Does your team have a football kit? U7 to U10 age groups do not require numbers on their shirts.  All other age groups require shirt numbers.
  • Do you have parental contact details, medical information etc. for all your players? Club records.
  • Do you have a First Aid Kit? – First aid kits must be present at all matches and training.
Playing in the League

From U7s upwards, to play matches against teams from other clubs, your team (and players) need to be registered with the league. The league will organise matches which will be published on the league website.  Make sure you familiarise yourself with the FA SCORY Rules and the league’s rules.

CRB Checks, First Aid and Safeguarding

Every team has to be compliant with the FA by having all adults involved with children being CRB checked (by the FA) and having at least one first aider present when training or playing matches.

CRB checks (essential)

Every adult who will be involved in coaching a team in any capacity MUST HAVE a valid  FA CRB check to allow them to work with children.  The FA insist on it. Contact you clubs Clubs Child Welfare Officer to sort.

It’s important to remember that CRB checks are only valid for a period of 3 years and need repeating for you to continue to be allowed to coach. There are no exceptions to this.

First Aid (essential)

Every team must have a qualified first aider at every training session or match. Go to the Somerset FA website for more information on courses.  The league send out a regular news letter that will highlight any up and coming courses that are available.

You MUST HAVE and FA certified first aid kit and have an emergency action plan (EAP) in place in case of an emergency. Do you know where the nearest A&E is, do you have any relevant emergency phone numbers in your phone, do you know where the nearest defibrillator device is if your ground has one etc?

Safeguarding Children

All adults involved with coaching children must have an in date safe guarding childrens qualification. Go to the Somerset FA website for more information on courses.

Kit, Footballs, Goals and First Aid Kit

Kit

Each team must have matching kit.  Shirts should not be the colour black (so teams do not clash with the referee). If there is a clash of colours then the home team changes kit.  Bibs can be worn if a team does not have a second kit.

Footballs

U7 = Size 3
U8 = Size 3
U9 =  Size 3
U10 = Size 3

U11 = Size 4
U12 = Size 4
U13 = Size 4
U14 = Size 4

U15 = Size 5
U16 = Size 5

The home team must provide a suitable match quality football for the game.

Goals

Samba goals are a wonderful invention but can be complicated to get your head around. One of the most common sights on a Saturday morning is adults standing round a set of samba goals looking confused. We’ve included links to Samba’s own instruction booklets below:

 First Aid Kit

Every coach should have an FA approved first aid kit available to them at every training session and match.