PREMIER LEAGUE

STAFF
Guidance
It is acknowledged that some Academy Managers may also have important roles as coaches and that the above responsibilities
may limit the time they have for coaching. As a consequence, the Academy Manager will be entitled to delegate some of his
functions to other staff at the Academy to enable him to continue to undertake coaching. In particular, if the Academy Manager
also has coaching responsibilities, Clubs may wish to give consideration to appointing an Operations Manager, being a senior
administrator who will have day-to-day responsibility for many of the executive and operational issues of the Academy.
However, it should be borne in mind that the Academy Manager will remain ultimately responsible for all of the above matters
regardless of any delegation.
55. Subject to Rule 56, each Academy Manager must hold:
55.1. an up to date UEFA A Licence; and
55.2. an Academy Manager’s Licence; and
55.3. an FA Youth Award; and
55.4. an FA Advanced Youth Award.
Guidance
A new Academy Manager’s Licence will be developed by the FA, working with the League. This is unlikely to be in place
for the commencement of Season 2012/13, and further advice will be given to Clubs in due course.
Rule 55.4 will be complied with regardless of which of the age-specific FA Advanced Youth Awards the Academy Manager
holds, so long as he holds one.
56 A Club may appoint as Academy Manager a person who does not hold the qualifications set
out in Rule 55 provided that the Head of Academy Coaching:
56.1. holds these qualifications;
56.2. is tasked with overseeing the Coaching Programme; and
56.3. is a member of the Academy Management Team and sits on the Technical Board.
Guidance
Consideration is being given to a specific course/qualification for Academy Managers who do not hold the required coaching
qualifications. This may become mandatory for such Academy Managers. Any such qualification will not be developed prior to
the commencement of Season 2012/13, and further guidance will be given to Clubs in due course.
57. The Academy Manager must undertake Continued Professional Development organised by
the Club. In addition, where the Academy Manager holds the qualifications set out in Rule 55.3
and 55.4, he must attend at least 5 hours of in-service training to be provided by the Football
Association every year and the first aid training for Academy coaches provided by the Football
Association at least once every three years.
Academy Secretary
58. Each Club which operates an Academy shall appoint an Academy Secretary who shall be
employed Full Time (in the case of a Club which operates a Category 1 or Category 2 Academy),
and at least Part Time (in the case of a Club which operates a Category 3 or Category 4 Academy).
59. The Academy Secretary shall:
59.1. provide administrative support to the Academy Manager and the Academy
Management Team;
59.2. act as the point of contact between the Academy and the League for all administrative
matters, including the submission of required information; and
59.3. be familiar with all relevant provisions of these Youth Development Rules, as amended
from time to time.
Guidance
This section of the Rules should be read subject to Rule 44.
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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT RULES