Hot Topics

 
What is the date of the 2013 FA Cup Final?

Next year’s Final will be at Wembley on 11 May. The kick-off time is yet to be confirmed.

When do tickets for the England v Brazil game go on sale?

Five-times FIFA World Cup winners Brazil will kick-off The Football Association’s 150th anniversary year when they visit Wembley Stadium on Wednesday 6 February 2013. No sale date has been set yet for the Brazil match but the tickets will be on sale before Christmas.

Do you have more information regarding the new Youth Development Review?

The new formats that are being introduced will affect your child. The new formats reduces the pitch size and also goal size, which should reduce coaches and managers opting for the faster, stronger players to overcome the large size of the pitches. The new formats will allow coaches to concentrate on skill and player development. For further information on the changes and why these proposals have been accepted please click here.

These proposals were from the ‘Your Kids Your Say’ Road show/consultations last year.

What are the new recommendations in relation to insurance for grassroots football clubs?

The FA Council at the April Council Meeting approved a number of recommendations in relation to the Standard Code and Standardised Code of Rules, which were submitted by the Sanction & Registration Committee. Two of the changes related to Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance.

Standardised Rules Rule 25 (25.2)
All clubs must have Public Liability cover of a least £10m (this is an increase from £5m)

Standard Code of Rules  Rule 22
All clubs must have public liability insurance cover of at least £10m

From season 2013-14 all clubs must be members of a players' personal accident scheme which meets the minimum criteria set by the sanctioning association.

The sanctioning association would normally be a County FA.

Some County Associations already have it as a mandatory requirement that their clubs have to take out personal accident insurance.

The FA has its own National Game Insurance Scheme which is administered through Bluefin, County Associations are encouraged to use the NGIS, but it is not a mandatory requirement as some CFAs have long standing arrangements with other brokers.

Are boys and girls now able to play in same teams up to and including U14 level?

The FA is pleased that the resolution to amend its Rules to extend the age at which mixed football is allowed from the U13 age group to the U14 age group received approval from The FA Shareholders at the recent AGM.  The FA requested this change in order to allow further research into mixed football at this older age group during the 2012-13 playing season.

The resolution was fully supported by The FA Board, FA Executive and FA Council and the result means that girls and boys will be able to play in the same teams up to and including the U14 age level from next season (2012-13) if they choose to do so. 

What are England’s upcoming fixtures?

For full information regarding all upcoming fixtures, please click here

How does qualification for the European club competitions work?

Champions League

England are entitled to four places in the Champions League, i.e. the four top-placed teams in the Premiership.

If an English team wins the Champions League and finishes in the top four, we do not gain an extra place.

If an English team wins the Champions League and do not finish in the top four, The FA can request that this team qualify automatically for the Champions League, but the fourth-placed team in the Premiership is entered into the Europa League.

Europa League

England are entitled to three places: one for the fifth-place team in the Premiership, one for The FA Cup and one for the League Cup.

If the winners of The FA Cup have qualified for Europe by other means, then the runners-up take their Europa League place. If this team has also already qualified, then the Europa League place goes to the next-placed team in the Premiership.

If the winners of the League Cup have qualified for Europe by other means, then the runners-up do not take their Europa League place: the Europa League place goes to the next-placed team in the Premiership.

If an English team wins the Europa League and qualifies for the Champions League by their Premiership placing, then they qualify for the Champions League. If they win the Europa and qualify for the Europa through the Premiership or the cup competitions, then we do not gain an extra place. If they have not qualified for Europe through the Premiership or the cup competitions, then they qualify for the Europa League as an extra team.

Fair Play

In addition, three places in the Europa League are reserved for Fair Play placings. UEFA compile a Fair Play table of countries based on the performances of their national teams and clubs in Europe. The top-placed team in that country's Fair Play table then qualifies. Furthermore, the remaining countries with a Fair Play coefficient above a certain mark are placed in a draw. Two countries are drawn and their "fairest" teams also qualify.