A THRIVING GRASSROOTS GAME

Priority 1:

IMPROVING PLAYING CHOICE AND OPPORTUNITY

Our 2028 ambition:

To create new and varied playing opportunities to give everyone a chance to play the game, in a way that suits them best.

What we HEARD:

"Life is changing and people don’t just want to commit to a team. They want to explore football in different ways, such as drop-in sessions where they can get their football fix in a way that suits their life circumstances"

Male player, 30-35

Football today is reflective of a modern and on-demand world – people want to play where and how they want in a location, format and environment that suits them best. 

It is vital that we meet this demand by providing a rich and varied menu of opportunities that suit everyone who wants to play. 

This includes growing walking football, developing more sessional football¹ and continuing to improve the appeal of more traditional formats. 

We must also continue to develop and improve the youth game. Great strides have been made, but we must continue to offer children more enjoyable football formats that support their development. 

Understandably, Disability Football faced a challenging period post-Covid, as participants needed to regain confidence to return to the game. Happily, the game has bounced back well, but there is more to do to fill the activity gap among disabled people that remains. 

¹ Sessional football = casual and social football that does not include fixtures. Individuals’ commitment is defined by their lifestyle. Activity is registered with the FA for safeguarding and quality assurance. Meanwhile ‘team football’ is football training, games and competitions with a set start and end date.  Individuals play as a team in fixtures against other teams. 

Priority 2:

DELIVER EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS TO PLAY

Our 2028 ambition:

To ensure every woman and girl who wants to play football has an opportunity to do so in a safe and enjoyable setting and in a way that suits their lifestyle. 

What we HEARD:

"The growth in the women’s and girls’ game has been brilliant to see – but there is more support needed for the game to be truly equal."

Female parent, 35-40

The growth in the women’s and girls’ game over the last four years has been incredible. The amazing success of the Lionesses has super-charged the demand for women and girls to play and we have worked hard to meet it by providing more playing opportunities and programmes, across the country. 

Participation by women and girls has doubled in the last six years – we’ve had nearly one million girls participate in our Biggest Ever Football Session for Girls in Schools (since 2020). We’ve now got the highest number of female players on record, and we have made huge progress in school provision for girls. 

However, women’s and girls’ teams still only account for 12% of our total teams¹ and women and girls still do not have equal opportunities to play in all schools and communities. Simply put, the job is not yet done. 

We know that we need to create more sessional football opportunities for women, so they can play in casual and flexible formats. We need to do more to ensure that the environment in football is safe, welcoming and inclusive. In addition, we need to make sure that facilities consider and prioritise female health and wellbeing, removing barriers for women and girls to participate. 

We’ve made some excellent progress in schools over the past four years but again there is more to do to ensure that all schools provide the same opportunities for girls, as they do for boys – and that the pathway to clubs (both professional and grassroots) is much stronger. 

¹ Affiliated Team Analysis 2016-2024.

Priority 3:

BUILD MORE AND IMPROVE EXISTING FACILITIES

Our 2028 ambition:

To increase the quality and quantity of grassroots football pitches and facilities across England, to better meet the demand. 

What we HEARD:

"Pitches are improving and there are now some great ones in my area meaning fewer matches are postponed, but there are still many more which need work to get to a good standard."

Male player, 20-25

Over 5,000 new, quality grass pitches in the last four years have started changing the landscape of grassroots playing surfaces, with fewer and fewer games postponed due to adverse weather.

This has been made possible via £1bn of investment from The FA, Premier League and Government, into grassroots facilities since 2000, via the Football Foundation. These facilities include new and improved clubhouses. 

However, taken as a whole, the national football facilities landscape is still nowhere near the standard that participants in our national sport deserve.

For example, two in three grass pitches are rated as ‘poor’ quality¹ and 2,000 more 3G pitches are needed to meet demand. 96% of local authorities do not have enough 3G pitches.

We know² that the quality of grass pitches is the number one factor that would make the playing experience more enjoyable. It’s also one of the main reasons players drop out of the game.

Dissatisfaction doesn’t just come from players. Club and league officials, volunteers and coaches all cite ‘facilities and/or pitch quality’ as the top reason for dissatisfaction with their football experience³. We also know that better quality pitches means more games can be played, supporting participation to grow.

That’s why we need to build on the great work we’ve done over the past four years to continue to transform the quality of existing grass pitches and build more, new 3G pitches. It’s also why we need to fund more inclusive and accessible facilities and ensure a keen focus on environmental sustainability.

¹ Rated by PitchPower, a digital assessment tool run by the Football Foundation.
² A Conversation About Our Game, Digital Survey.
³ Positive Football Environment Survey, March 2023. 

Priority 4:

TACKLE POOR BEHAVIOUR

Our 2028 ambition:

To see a decline in cases of poor behaviour of any kind, and to increase reporting of discrimination, ensuring enjoyment is at the forefront of playing, volunteering or officiating grassroots football. 

What we HEARD:

"We all have a role to play in tackling poor behaviour. There is a collective responsibility on everyone in the game to manage their own behaviour, challenge others when they step out of line, and a responsibility on clubs, leagues and the County FA to punish those that don’t meet the standard."

Male coach, 40-45

Football should be safe, fun and inclusive for everyone. 

While most of our participants play the game and behave in the right way, we face a stubborn and enduring problem; some participants persist in poor behaviour, ruining the game for others. 

Sadly, we know that the number of participants witnessing or experiencing discriminatory abuse is increasing. We also know that a significant number of cases go under-reported¹. We must do more to encourage reporting and to build trust that when cases are reported, we will investigate robustly and hold perpetrators to account. Although only 30% of participants believe a report will lead to a successful charge, it’s actually more than double that – 63%. 

We know that participants want The FA to do more to tackle poor behaviour – on the pitch and on the sidelines. This means a mixture of reviewing current sanctions, while looking at ways to celebrate good behaviour, such as providing awards and recognition. 

It also means working seamlessly with the professional game as there’s no question that behaviours in the elite game impact those at the grassroots level. Among other initiatives, this entails building on joint campaigns such as ‘Love Football, Protect The Game’ to ensure a consistent and unified stance. 

The challenge is clear, and so is our plan. Our efforts will focus on getting tougher with punishments, rewarding good behaviour and driving collective responsibility to change things for the better. 

We’ve made a start, with initiatives including points deductions, prompter response to cases and trialling bodycams, but there is more to do along this ongoing journey. 

^1, 2CV independent research.

Priority 5:

DEVELOP A VALUED NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS, COACHES AND REFEREES

Our 2028 ambition:

To grow the number of grassroots volunteers, coaches and referees – and ensure they all feel valued and supported to fulfil their roles in the game. 

What we HEARD:

"Our volunteers put so much hard work and effort into their roles, and they have an unbelievable impact on people’s lives – it is so important that we support them to stay in the game."

Male Club Chair, 60-65

Grassroots football would not exist without our invaluable volunteers, coaches and referees. 

This equates to one million volunteers, including 160,000 coaches and 37,000 referees.

Over the past four years we have worked hard to serve and support this crucial workforce. There is ongoing work to develop and strengthen our education and support for volunteers, coaches and referees. 

We’ve achieved a lot; our national and County FA grassroots awards have provided an important opportunity to thank those who go above and beyond. We have also created a ‘The England Football Family’ free membership scheme to reward and celebrate grassroots volunteers with experiences and prizes – as well as seeing over 20,000 volunteers recognised by their communities and The FA.

However, 25% of volunteers – the people who run and administer clubs – tell us they do not feel valued¹. 

Feeling under-appreciated is one of the reasons volunteers leave football. We also know that there is a perceived lack of accessible, affordable, quality education for volunteers, particularly for off-pitch roles³.

We must do more to support volunteers, to celebrate and reward the amazing work they do and ensure they have the learning and development they need to effectively fulfil their roles. 

We also know that with the game continuing to grow, in the future we’ll need even more volunteers to support the game – that means recruiting more people but also retaining the excellent individuals who already give so much to the game. 

We are starting from a solid foundation – there are many people who love volunteering in football. It’s our job in the next four years to ensure everyone feels that way.

To find out more about our work to support coaches, click here. To find more about our work to support referees, click here. To find out more about our work to support volunteers, click here.

¹ Positive Football Environment Survey, March 2023.
² A Conversation About Our Game.