BIG FOOTBALL DAY - FAQS
1. What if I need support to complete my Event information?
- For help with ideas, football specific questions, and for localised knowledge contact your County Football Association.
- For help with technical issues contact the Big Football Day Technical Support service.
2. What is Big Football Day?
- To celebrate England kicking off their Women’s World Cup Campaign clubs and providers can host a Big Football Day Event on any dates between 11th August until 31st August. From football taster sessions for all and coaching workshops to watch parties to see the action unfold. Create a fun, festival environment to encourage new participation and bring the local community together.
3. What could a Big Football Day look like?
- From one taster session for a specific audience through to a 2 day event across the weekend, and everything in between, Big Football Day can be shaped in any way that suits you and your club.
- You can pick the session types (football, futsal or walking football), the audience (gender and age) and the times for your sessions. You may want to consider using the day to target a new audience to create or build a new team or programme for your club.
- An example one day event could look like…
- 9 am – Arrival and welcomes
- 9:30am-10:30am – Under 10s and Under 12s girl’s sessions
- 10:30-12:30 – Match Screening - England vs Haiti
- 12:30 – BBQ and games
- 1:30-3:30 – Adult female session (5-aside festival)
- 3:30-4:30 – Stepping over the Sidelines workshop (for female coaches and volunteers)
4. How could Big Football Day help my club / programme?
- Gather and celebrate with your existing club / programme members
- Engage new participants, coaches or volunteers
- Bring together your local community to support England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
- Access future club support programmes via your County FA and / or England Football
5. How do clubs and providers get involved?
- Clubs and providers can access the digital platform to create their event and sessions and then share their booking link with new and existing participants
6. When can I deliver a Big Football Day event?
- Clubs and providers can deliver their event on the between 11th August until 31st August.
- Any activity done outside of this cannot be created within or promoted via the Big Football Day digital platform, but of course clubs can run anything they want and promote it through their own means.
7. How do players / parents get involved?
- Search and book onto an event using the digital platform
- Sign-up for individual sessions or match screening
- Bring the whole family!
8. Can I charge for my Event?
- The platform does not allow for payments to be taken, but you can add this information to your event descriptions and collect payments offline if you need to cover costs for your event.
9. What support is available to sustain or create new female provision after the Event(s)?
- You can apply to deliver an England Football Programme; Wildcats for girls aged 5-11, Squad for girls aged 12-14 or Just Play for 16+
- Equal Game includes an online toolkit and face to face training workshops that provide everything you need to grow and develop female football at your club
- Your local County FA may have an Equal Game Ambassador who can offer bespoke support to your Club to grow or develop your female provision
- The Barclays Community Football Fund is available for community sports groups to apply for funds to increase young people’s access to play
- Your local County FA will be able to support your Club in several ways; contact them to find out more
10. What are the key dates that I need to be aware of?
- You can find the schedules for the remainder of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 on the FIFA website here.
11. Can I deliver Youth and Adult sessions?
- You can decide to deliver just Youth, just Adult, or both. For those delivering any U18 activities, you will need to name a Designated Safeguarding Officer with the relevant Welfare Officer qualification.
12. How many coaches / volunteers will I need?
- To register your event you will need a named Event Lead, and if delivering any youth sessions you will need to name a Designated Safeguarding Officer with the relevant Welfare Officer qualification.
- The number of other coaches and volunteers you will need depends on how many participants sign up to the sessions at your event and whether they are youth or adults. Please refer to the guidance document Ratios of adults to children (download 5.5).
- Where activity is being offered to anyone under the age of 18 there must at all times be a minimum of 2 adults over the age of 18 who have passed DBS checks delivering Sessions. One of these adults must be an FA Lead Playmaker or have completed the The FA’s Introduction to Coaching Football course.
13. What should I do if I want to deliver to an age band wider than 2 years (e.g. 5-11s)?
- When inputting session min and max ages you will be encouraged to run sessions for 2 year age bands, however if you wish to run a session for an age band wider than this then you will need to have a risk assessment in place with the appropriate safeguards.
- Disability football has dispensation to adopt a maximum 4 year age banding up to and including U16s only, we recommend U8, U12 and U16 as initial age bandings to introduce.
15. Will there be any support for me to promote my event or deliver my sessions?
- To help you promote your event you will get access to Big Football Day digital assets including editable posters, images and suggested copy for social media.
- To help you deliver your session you can make use of the Big Football Day session plans for 5-11 year olds, 12-16 year olds, and adults, or the Big Football Day session guide.
- All of these resources can be found and downloaded from the ‘Resources’ section. We have a guide on this here: Where can I find the resources to help promote my event?.
- The FA will also be promoting all Big Football Day events via their social channels in the build up to the Women’s World Cup.
16. What do I do if someone is not booked on to my event but turns up on the day?
- We suggest you have a QR code available at your welcome desk on the day to allow participants to scan and book then and there. You can find and download your QR code in the platform.
- Alternatively, you can add participants yourself within the admin area.