Update on Club Portal Functionality
Update on Club Portal Functionality
Recently, The FA’s Digital Customer Service Team have added a number of updates to the Club Portal, with some of Whole Game System’s functionality being transitioned over to the Club Portal. Please view the recent changes below.
CLUB & TEAM OFFICIALS
Club and Team officials can now be added, changed, and removed within the Club Portal as opposed to Whole Game System. This can be found in the Officials Tab on the Club Portal, where you can see Key Officials and Team Officials.
TEAM GROUNDS
This can be accessed through the My Club menu and then into the Grounds tab.
The information will be linked to Pitchfinder, so the accuracy of the information will be a lot better than previously on Whole Game System.
With the transition of the information from Whole Game System to The Club Portal/Pitchfinder, please can all Clubs review the ground data you have, to ensure it is still accurate.
PLAYER REGITRATIONS
The next updates are around league requirements within the Competition Portal (The league side of the portals).
Each league now has the option of adding in various requirements around player registrations.
The relevant requirements to Norfolk Sanctioned Leagues are registration end dates and squad size caps.
Whilst there has always been a registration deadline (end of March), we now have the functionality to formally adopt this in the Club Portal. So, you will no longer be able to submit a new registration, transfer or de registration (Youth Football Only) beyond the 31st March 2023.
Each League does have the option to grant special dispensation to allow a new registration, transfer or de registration beyond that date. But you will need to gain prior approval, in writing, from the relevant league before this can be actioned in the Portal.
Within Youth Football each team has a maximum squad size, as with the registration end date, we now have the functionality to formally adopt this within the Club Portal. Therefore, once you have reached your maximum squad size you will no longer be able to submit a registration.
If you have reached your maximum squad size limit, you will need to de register a player before you can register a new one. The process for this is that you contact the relevant person at your league, before submitting anything on the portal. The league will then inform you of their process, once this has been complete you will need to submit the de registration on the Club Portal for the league to approve.
Just to remind you the relevant squad size caps are as follows:
Format Squad Size Limit:
- 5V5 - 10 (12 in the NCYFL)
- 7V7 - 14
- 9V9 - 18
- 11V11 - 20 (25 for U17 & U18 teams)
CLUB AFFILIATION
The final update is quite a major one, affecting club affiliation. As of the 2023/24 season, Club Affiliation will be moving onto the Club Portal. As such there are also a few other features that will be moving across to accompany this.
The first of which is qualifications are now being shown in the Club Portal, this can be viewed in the officials’ menu, then in the Safeguarding and Qualifications tab.
This gives a breakdown and a visual of the breakdown on what Safeguarding, coaching and medical qualification each individual has. There is also a ‘requiring action’ column that shows any qualifications that require updating.
With specific reference to youth teams, there will be new affiliation requirements for the 2023/24 season relating to safeguarding qualifications.
It will now be mandatory for any youth team official to obtain their Safeguarding Children Qualification, alongside the already mandated DBS check.
Alongside this, there will also be a requirement to have a minimum of 2 officials listed against each team (Team secretary does not count, this must be 2 manager/coach roles).
The last change, and a new requirement for the 2023/24 Affiliation is related to club rules. As part of next seasons affiliation, clubs will be required to provide evidence of their club’s rules.
This can be done by either uploading a copy to the Club Portal, in the ‘Other Documents’ tab or by adopting the FA standardised Club Rules, which can be found in the ‘My Club’ menu, in the documentation tab.
We would encourage all Clubs to have a look at these new functions and if you have any questions, please e-mail Support@NorfolkFA.com.