The FA has conducted wide-ranging research in recent months into the issue of mixed football - asking players, coaches and parents of all ages for their opinion on the subject.

That will now broaden to include the advice of foreign associations, UEFA and also other sports to help form our approach to this issue.

The FA takes the issue of mixed football seriously, and we are eager to fully consult those affected by the rules before deciding on the way forward.

What Has Been Done in the Last Few Months?

Research in England
A criticism leveled against The FA, was that we had not asked the general public and in particular the players their views on mixed football.  The FA agreed to conduct research to ask players, parents and coaches their views on the current rule.  This was done through the following ways:

- The FA website and the Your Game Your Say questionnaire  (the latter received 10,000 responses)
- independent research and the FA Youth Survey (approx 5,000 girls U16 were questionned)
- independent recent in the FA Girls Centres of Excellence

The research we have received is inconclusive but for both sexes, there was low appeal for integrated mixed teams, whilst the primary demand was about improving the quality of facilities, which The FA are committed to as a funding partner of the Football Foundation, investing £20million into improving community football facilities across the country.

Comparisons Abroad
The FA has spent considerable time discussing this with other associations around the world. Every Association is different in their response.  We have spent particular time studying two associations in particular (Holland and Scotland) to understand their rules and the implications this may have. 

The FA is to write to UEFA and FIFA to request guidance on this topic, in their roles as Governors of European and World football.

Work to Develop FA Girls Centres of Excellence
The FA has focused their attention recently to also seeking the funding to provide more talent development opportunities across the country and particularly in the North West, Yorkshire, the North East and South West where the impetus of letters from players and parents has centred. 

The story so far
There are now 147,000 girls and women playing affiliated football for schools and clubs up and down the country, and it continues to be the Number 1 female team participation sport in the country.

The expanding network of clubs at the grassroots now feeds 52 FA centres of excellence country-wide, with 20 of the most talented teenage female footballers each year then offered 'scholarships' at The FA National Women's Player Development Centre at Loughborough University.

The FA funds their full time Degrees and accommodation, with the players granted access to the best sporting facilities in the country, where they are mentored by The FA's National Coaches, including Hope Powell.

The England Women's team have qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in September for only the second time in its history, and there are also Development squads at U15, U17, U19 and U23 level, comparable to the men's game, enabling the most ambitious and talented players to achieve international recognition.

To give your views, click here and all opinions will be added to the 15,000 people who have already contributed via TheFA.com, through research, and via nine regional FA events held in Autumn 2006.