FIFA Introduces Pioneering Rule to Boost Number of Female Coaches

In a landmark decision, FIFA has announced that all teams participating in its women's tournaments must have at least one female head coach or assistant coach, starting from the under-20 Women's World Cup in September. This groundbreaking rule will also be enforced at the Women's World Cup in Brazil next year, as well as at the Women's Champions Cup and the inaugural Women's Club World Cup. The move aims to address the significant shortage of female coaches in the sport, despite its rapid growth. According to Jill Ellis, FIFA's chief football officer, "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 new regulations will apply to all youth and senior tournaments, national team competitions, and club competitions, and will also require at least two female staff on the bench and one woman on the medical staff. This initiative is expected to complement existing programs, including FIFA's coach scholarship program, which has supported 795 female coaches across 73 member associations. The FIFA Council also announced that the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups will be confirmed at an extraordinary congress later this year.