Coaching badges after football: the FA and UEFA pathway explained
Updated 29 August 2026 · 7 min read
Coaching is the most common first move for players leaving the game, and the one most often started in the wrong order. This is the English pathway as it is actually structured, what each qualification permits, and what it costs at the time of writing.
The pathway in order
Coaching qualifications in England are issued through England Football Learning, the FA's learning platform, and align to the UEFA coaching convention. You climb them in sequence — you cannot skip to UEFA B without the qualification below it.
| Qualification | Format | Published fee | Duration | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Coaching Football | Online | £100 | 4 weeks | 16 |
| UEFA C Diploma | Face-to-face & online | £650 | 16–20 weeks | 16 |
| UEFA B Diploma | Face-to-face & online | £1,250 | 9–12 months | 18 |
Fees and durations as published by England Football Learning at the time of writing. Confirm the current figure on the course page before you budget — they are revised between seasons, and some county FAs and the PFA can contribute towards them.
What each licence actually lets you do
- Introduction to Coaching Football — the entry point. Enough to start coaching in grassroots and youth settings and to test whether you enjoy the other side of the touchline before you spend money.
- UEFA C Diploma — designed around coaching a team over a season. The usual level for serious grassroots and youth work, and the prerequisite for UEFA B.
- UEFA B Diploma — the level clubs commonly look for in academy and semi-professional roles. A significant time commitment spread across most of a year.
- UEFA A and Pro — progression beyond this is competitive, application-based and takes years. Do not plan your income around reaching it quickly.
What you also need before a club will use you
- An in-date FA DBS check for any role working with children or adults at risk.
- A Safeguarding Children certificate, renewed on the FA's stated cycle.
- An Emergency First Aid in Football certificate, or the equivalent your league accepts.
- Affiliation through the club or county FA you coach with — ask them what they require before you enrol on anything.
How to start this month
- 01Volunteer or shadow one session firstContact a local club or your former academy and ask to help with a single session. Being an ex-pro usually opens this door. Coaching is a different job to playing and one evening tells you a lot.
- 02Get an England Football account and book the entry courseCreate an account on England Football Learning, then book Introduction to Coaching Football. It is online, short and the cheapest way to confirm you want to continue.
- 03Ask about funding before you payIf you are a PFA member, check the PFA's course funding before paying for a badge yourself. County FAs also periodically run bursaries. See our funding guide below.
- 04Book UEFA C when you have a team to apply it toThe C Diploma is assessed around coaching real sessions over a season. Line up a club role first, otherwise you will pay for a course you cannot complete well.
Honest expectations
Coaching badges are a credential, not a job offer. Being an ex-professional helps with credibility and access, but clubs recruit on qualifications, safeguarding compliance and observed coaching ability. Most routes start part-time, low-paid or voluntary, and the people who make it a career tend to be the ones who lined up income elsewhere while they built the hours.
We do not publish earnings figures for coaching roles. Pay varies enormously by level, region and employer — check advertised roles for the level you are targeting before you commit money or time.