FIFA has introduced new regulations requiring teams in women’s competitions to include more female coaches, in a move aimed at improving gender representation in football.
Under the new rules, each team must appoint at least one female head coach or assistant coach. In addition, teams are required to have a minimum of two female staff members on the bench during matches.
The regulations, approved by the FIFA Council, will take effect at major tournaments including the U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups, as well as the Women’s Champions Cup. The policy will apply across all FIFA women’s competitions, from youth to senior level.
FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis said the move was necessary to address the shortage of women in coaching roles.
“There are simply not enough women in coaching today,” she said.
“We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing visibility for women on our sidelines.”
Ellis added that the new regulations, alongside development programmes, represent “an important investment in both the current and future generations of female coaches.”
FIFA data highlights the disparity in representation. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, only 12 of the 32 head coaches were women, a figure the organisation says does not reflect the rapid global growth of the women’s game.
Ellis noted that Sarina Wiegman was the only female coach to reach the latter stages of the tournament, eventually leading England to a second-place finish.
According to FIFA’s Member Associations Survey, women account for an average of just five per cent of coaches across both men’s and women’s teams globally.
Ellis also pointed to FIFA’s 2024 “Setting the Pace” report, which found that women make up 22 per cent of head coaches in women’s leagues worldwide.
FIFA says the new rules form part of a long-term strategy to ensure that women’s representation in coaching and leadership roles keeps pace with the continued growth of the women’s game.
The organisation added that it has expanded support for female coaches in recent years, including offering scholarships to help women obtain top-level coaching licences such as UEFA Pro and A certifications.
