What DBS check do I need to coach a youth team?
Rule- England
- England Football
- Youth football
- 9v9
- Under 12
- Under 13
- 2026/27
- Coaches
Anyone aged 16 or over in a potentially unsupervised role with under-18s, including grassroots coaches and managers, must hold an FA-accepted DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check with Children's Barred List.
- Clubs and leagues must make sure the check was issued within the last three years.
- New coaches must have an accepted check before working unsupervised with children.
- When you renew, you can keep coaching once the renewal has been submitted to the DBS and shows as "in progress" on the FA Club Portal.
- Under The FA's Safeguarding Children Regulations, anyone who fails to comply with the safeguarding process is immediately suspended from football activity.
Added 21 Oct 2026