Coaching Convention

Syllabus of minimum content:

UEFA C diploma
2020 edition
UEFA COACHING CONVENTION 2020 SYLLABUS OF MINIMUM CONTENT: UEFA C DIPLOMA

COACH PROFILE
A UEFA C licence holder must be able to provide a positive developmental
experience that enhances the players’ enjoyment, knowledge, and skill,
and must demonstrate competence in the following four areas:

Grassroots coach
»» Creating an opportunity to play football for grassroots
players of different ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities:
children, teenagers, adults, veterans, disabled people and
other amateur target groups
»» Inspiring a lifelong desire to play football and stay involved
in football

Environment
»» Maintaining a positive motivational climate

Player
»» Adopting a holistic approach to player development
»» Improving players’ basic techniques and understanding of
the game
»» Encouraging players to think for themselves
»» Enabling players to experience the health benefits of
regularly playing football and improving their overall fitness
»» Instilling in players values of fair play and respect

Game
»» Planning and delivering various game formats with an
emphasis on enjoyment and development
»» Using the game as a tool to help players in their personal and
football development

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UEFA COACHING CONVENTION 2020 SYLLABUS OF MINIMUM CONTENT: UEFA C DIPLOMA

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Grassroots coach

Competences Modules Hours of

education1

• Understanding the role of a grassroots coach Philosophy, values

• Using positive coach behaviours, e.g. respect for play and beliefs
and for individuals
• Using a participant-centred approach (based on
players’ needs)
• Demonstrating a lifelong learning attitude

• Knowing different coaching models Teaching

• Applying coaching skills in their basic form: methodology: art of
coaching
»» Behaviour management
»» Communication: explanation, coaching position,
feedback, learning channels
»» Demonstration
»» Differentiation: dealing with individual
differences
»» Organisation
• Understanding the importance of interventions

• Demonstrating competence in short- and medium- Planning, delivering

term planning and reviewing
• Planning sessions carefully
• Delivering sessions effectively
• Applying reflective practice after sessions

The grassroots coach section of the course requires at least 10 hours of reality-based education

1
Exact number of education hours in course modules to be defined by each convention party.

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UEFA COACHING CONVENTION 2020 SYLLABUS OF MINIMUM CONTENT: UEFA C DIPLOMA

Environment

Competences Modules Hours of

education

Creating a motivational climate with the following Motivational

components: climate
• Fun
• Individual needs
• Culture of learning: no fear of making mistakes,
appropriate challenges, positive coaching
• Inclusion and friendship, sense of belonging
• Engagement
• Player’s empowerment and autonomy
• Success, personal improvement and effort, process vs
outcome

Creating the right structure for grassroots sessions: Organisation

• Before sessions (arrivals, dressing rooms)
• During sessions
»» Physical environment and equipment
»» Activity time
»» Consistent set-up (tidy space = tidy mind)
• After sessions (departures)

• Ensuring player welfare Care and welfare

• Knowing the child safeguarding guidelines and
legislation2
• Knowing basic first aid
• Knowing the club’s or organisation’s code of conduct
and acting accordingly
• Creating and using other resources (volunteers and
parents)

The environment section of the course requires at least 10 hours of reality-based education

2
If you require more information on the child safeguarding, please see the
Child Safeguarding Toolkit for UEFA member associations

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UEFA COACHING CONVENTION 2020 SYLLABUS OF MINIMUM CONTENT: UEFA C DIPLOMA

Player

Competences Modules Hours of

education

• Acknowledging and respecting individuality (person Knowing the

first) players
• Recognising each player’s needs and wants
• Knowing the player’s social, psychological, physical
and football abilities

• Developing the player’s individual technique, tactical Individual football

skills, collaboration, etc. skills

• Enabling players to experience the health benefits of Physical

regularly playing football development
• Improving players’ physical literacy
• Developing fundamental movement skills: stability,
object control, locomotion
• Improving players’ overall fitness: speed, strength and
power, endurance
• Knowing the key characteristics of physical
maturation and the impact on physical loading

• Understanding the importance of developing a Psychological

player’s growth mindset and its elements of curiosity, development
learning, commitment, effort, resilience
• Developing players’ problem-solving, decision-
making, information processing, curiosity and
creativity
• Applying basic tools and methods to build players’
confidence and self-esteem and support their emotion
management
• Explaining the importance of self-regulation and
demonstrating basic tools and methods

• Understanding the role of emotions and behaviours Social development

at different ages and stages of player development
• Applying basic tools to build relationships, improve
teamwork, increase interaction and support peer
learning
• Applying basic tools to develop players’ leadership
skills

The player section of the course requires at least 10 hours of reality-based education

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UEFA COACHING CONVENTION 2020 SYLLABUS OF MINIMUM CONTENT: UEFA C DIPLOMA

Game

Competences Modules Hours of

education

• Understanding and teaching the basic principles of Players

attacking, defending, transitions
• Developing players’ basic technical and tactical
understanding of the game: playing positions and
game awareness
• Teaching basic game management principles
• Developing player autonomy: decision-making,
problem-solving, power of play

• Understanding the key benefits and principles of the Training

basic training methods:
»» technical practice (unopposed practice)
»» skill practice (multi-directional practice with
opposition)
»» game-related practice (one directional team
practice)
• Understanding basic training principles (specificity,
progression, etc.)

• Designing and organising various game formats Playing formats

(11v11, small-sided games, festivals)
• Understanding the importance of playing time and
applying it in various game formats
• Knowing and respecting rules and guidelines: Laws of
the Game, club policy, regulations

• Dealing with matchday behaviours Match environment

• Engaging appropriately with volunteers and parent in
team/club activities

The game section of the course requires at least 10 hours of reality-based education

Guided interactive content, not including self-study At least 50 hours

Work experience At least 10 hours

Minimum hours of reality-based education 60 hours3

3
Minimum hours of theory and practical units off the pitch: 30
Minimum hours of practical units on the pitch, including work experience: 30

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UEFA COACHING CONVENTION 2020 SYLLABUS OF MINIMUM CONTENT: UEFA C DIPLOMA

ASSESSMENTS
Formative and summative assessments

Theory: The coach must be able to understand Practice: The coach must demonstrate an
and explain the following: ability to apply the following principles:

• Grassroots coach
»» Benefits of the player-centred approach and positive coach behaviour
»» Basic coaching skills
»» Planning, delivering and reviewing

• Environment
»» Creating a consistent, safe and positive learning environment
»» Organisation of the sessions and activities

• Player
»» Holistic development of a player: technical, physical, psychological and social

• Game
»» Basic technical and tactical understanding of the game
»» Basic game management principles
»» Key benefits and principles of the basic training methods

Personal coaching logbook:

• Planning and delivering safe and appropriate coaching activities
• Analysing and reviewing coaching activities