What criteria must clubs meet?

Through affiliation Clubs will achieve the following criteria:

• Offer a minimum of one team at any age group for male or female or disability playing in an FA sanctioned competition.
• Have an in-date FA Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Checks (DBS) for all relevant officials.
• Have a Welfare Officer for Youth Clubs (male, female and disability).
• Safeguarding Committee Members course completed by Club committee members.

Through the Clubs Portal, Clubs will achieve or evidence the following criteria

• Evidence or adopt a set of Club rules and be a constituted Club.
• Evidence or adopt the relevant Club safeguarding policies.
• Evidence or adopt an equality policy.
• Adopt The Football Leadership diversity code.
• Adopt the Nationwide Respect codes of conduct and implement The FA Respect activations relevant to your club.
• Have a bank account in the Club’s name recommended for all Clubs and mandatory for Clubs with three or more teams.
• Provide evidence of last season’s accounts if in existence for more than one season.
• Have a good disciplinary record within the Nationwide Respect disciplinary code (if in existence for more than one season

Depending on your club structure, the three stars of accreditation

• One star
• Two stars
• Three stars