When clubs or leagues recruit new members, all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children.

The FA's Policy on DBS Checks

As part of our safeguarding children strategy, The FA requires those working in eligible roles with children and young people to pass a DBS Check. This is in line with legislation and government guidance and is standard practice.

We provide the framework and guidance for DBS Checks in football. The leagues and clubs then have to implement this to ensure those required to have DBS Checks done have them.

Where the DBS Check highlights relevant information, this is investigated further and a risk assessment is carried out to establish whether or not they will be accepted to work with children and young people in football.

What are the eligible roles?

Eligibility is governed by legislation and government guidance. In brief this means a DBS Check is required for anyone aged 16 years or over who undertakes any potentially unsupervised roles working directly with children and young people under the age of 18. 

These activities include managing, training, coaching and supervising as well as giving advice or guidance on wellbeing, caring for children or driving a vehicle solely for children on behalf of a club or organisation. All coaches and managers working directly with under-18 players must hold a current, FA-accepted DBS Check.