New FIFA rule says women's teams must have a woman on leadership staff
#FIFA #women's football #leadership #gender representation #sports policy #national teams #governance #equality
📌 Key Takeaways
- FIFA mandates at least one woman in leadership roles for women's national teams
- The rule aims to increase female representation in football governance
- Compliance is required for teams participating in FIFA-sanctioned events
- The policy is part of broader efforts to promote gender equality in sports
📖 Full Retelling
FIFA's council passed a new rule Thursday aimed at bolstering the role of women in leadership, changing its participation requirements for all nations ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup.
🏷️ Themes
Gender Equality, Sports Governance
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Original Source
New FIFA rule says women's teams must have a woman on leadership staff Teams who wish to participate in FIFA women's tournaments must have either a woman head coach or a woman serving in the assistant head coach role. English women's national team head coach Sarina Wiegman; U.S. women's national team head coach Emma Hayes. Getty Images; USA Today Network Share Add NBC News to Google March 19, 2026, 4:14 PM EDT By Doha Madani Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 FIFA's council passed a new rule Thursday aimed at bolstering the role of women in leadership, changing its participation requirements for all nations ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup. The FIFA Council passed what it described as "landmark" regulations to mandate female representation in the coaching staff across women's soccer teams if they wish to participate in FIFA tournaments. This rule includes the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, which had its inaugural run in January, and the upcoming Women's World Cup in Brazil next summer. According to FIFA, the new rules require teams to have either a woman head coach or a woman serving in the assistant head coach role. Two female staff members must also be on the bench, according to FIFA. Jill Ellis, FIFA's chief football officer, said that the rule changes will be paired with development programs which represent an investment in women in coaching. "We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibility for women on our sidelines," Ellis said. The move is part of what FIFA described as its long-term strategy of investing in women in leadership positions across the sport as women's soccer grows at an exponential rate. Despite the millions of girls and women who play on the pitch, FIFA notes that "coaching positions remain predominantly occupied by men." This was on display for soccer fans in the 2023 Women's World Cup, where only 12 of 32 head coaches were women. A 2019 survey of the...
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