What must the club do about players travelling to away fixtures and trips?

The FA's travel guidance (Guidance Note 5.4) applies to youth teams and to open-age teams with 16 and 17-year-old players. At the start of the season the club should have:

• Signed permission and medical forms for each player, kept securely under data protection rules.
• A DBS check for anyone directly responsible for children on the club's behalf. A regular club driver transporting only children needs an FA DBS check; a private lift-sharing arrangement between parents does not.
• Valid driving licence, MOT and tax for anyone driving children for the club in their own vehicle, plus vehicle insurance and breakdown cover.
• Insurance for public and civil liability and personal accident.
• The right ratio and mix of adults: a male group should always have a male member of staff, and a female group a female member of staff.
• A qualified first aider and an in-date first aid kit, and staff briefed on any player's known medical conditions.
• A named point of contact for parents, a reporting procedure for concerns, and codes of conduct.

Overnight trips and tournaments also need:

• Written permission for each activity (for example swimming) and insurance that covers non-football activities.
• A named welfare officer on the trip and a contact at home with the full list of travellers.
• Separate single beds; staff and players must never share a room; players sharing must be the same sex. Ideally children aged 12 or younger share twin or triple rooms.
• A "Safe-Away Card" for every child, an information pack and a parents' meeting beforehand.
• When going abroad: suitable travel insurance, visas, passports stored securely, and health cover such as a GHIC.