March 20, (THEWILL) — Football’s world governing body has introduced regulations requiring every team in its women’s tournaments to have at least one female head coach or assistant coach on the bench.
The decision was reached at the FIFA Council on Thursday. It will come into force during the Under-17 and Under-20 Women’s World Cup, along with the Women’s Champions Cup, later this year.
Under the new rules, at least two female staff members must be present on the bench at every match, with one holding a head coaching or assistant coaching position. The requirement covers all youth and senior competitions across both club and international football.
FIFA’s chief football officer, Jill Ellis, said: “There are simply not enough women in coaching today. We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibility for women on our sidelines.”
The governing body is targeting a rapid growth in female representation, including at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. At the 2023 edition, 12 of the 32 head coaches were women, though Sarina Wiegman stood alone as the only female coach to reach the quarter-final stage.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
