Who in the club needs an FA DBS check?

It is FA policy that anyone aged 16 or over in a role that involves potentially unsupervised activity with under-18s must hold an FA DBS Enhanced Criminal Records Check with Children's Barred List. The FA's eligibility list (Guidance Note 3.3) includes:

• Coaches, including assistants, working with under-18s, and coaches in open-age teams with 16 or 17-year-old players.
• Team managers and assistant managers working with under-18s, including open-age teams with 16 or 17-year-olds.
• Club Welfare Officers and assistant Welfare Officers in clubs with players under 18.
• Chaperones for under-18s on trips, tours and overnight tournaments.
• Regular club drivers transporting only children for the club (not private lift arrangements between parents).
• Host families (not private arrangements between families).
• First-aiders or medics with weekly involvement with an under-18 team.
• Referees in youth football, including referee mentors, observers and coaches below Level 4.

Roles that are not eligible on their own: club secretary, treasurer, chair, parent helpers who don't coach, clubhouse manager, groundskeeper, photographer, website administrator, social media managers, youth section administrator, a parent running the line, and players (including captains). If someone in one of these roles also coaches or does another eligible role, they need a check for that role.

Clubs must make sure everyone newly appointed to an eligible role has an FA Accepted DBS check before working unsupervised with children. If you're unsure whether a role is eligible, contact the FA DBS Unit on 0115 969 4618 or FAChecks@TheFA.com.