The Football Association has launched a version of the Football Leadership Diversity Code tailored for the National League System, Women's pyramid and grassroots football.
The aim is to tackle inequality and improve representation of diverse groups across senior leadership positions, wider team operations and coaching roles.
The Code has been developed in collaboration with club leaders, community football representatives, County FA chief executives and others across the game to ensure English football at all levels better represents the modern and diverse society.
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Recognising that off the pitch, club administration and support structures do not currently reflect the increasing diversity that is seen on the pitch, the Code will increase accountability and transparency.
Its aim is for clubs across the non-elite game to commit to being leaders in football diversity, ensuring they promote and deliver the highest standards of inclusion across their clubs.
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This expansion into the wider football pyramid marks one year since the launch of the Football Leadership Diversity Code for the elite game.
James Kendall, The FA's director of football development, said: "We are deeply committed to ensuring English football thrives at all levels of the game and this is an important development in our efforts to achieve that.
"We believe the Code will significantly change football for the better, particularly in local communities where the game plays a crucial part in people's lives. It will ensure clubs reap the rewards of greater engagement and collaboration with the communities they serve.
"We want positive, inclusive cultures to be at the heart of everything we do, and only by working together with clubs and leagues can we achieve true equality across the English game."
The Code focuses on increasing equality of opportunity by encouraging the selection of leaders and coaches based on merit from a significantly wider pool of diverse talent.
At the heart of the Code is the desire to change culture within club environments to be holistically inclusive with realistic commitments, recognising the unique challenges that are presented to clubs operating at these levels of the English game, who have primarily volunteer-based workforces.
This means ensuring club culture encourages people from all backgrounds to be part of football in their local communities, both as participants and in roles off the pitch.
The FA is encouraging all clubs to sign up to the Code as it will form part of the minimum requirements for England Football-accredited status each season.
Club equality policies to be adopted by all club members, players and officials remain a requirement, while signatories of the Code will adhere to the following five commitments, effective immediately:
- Club leadership: Our club's leadership should reflect the diversity of our local community
- Coaching and selection: Ensuring diversity within our volunteer coaching workforce
- Culture: Continuing to strive for the most inclusive club culture
- Reporting discrimination: Encouraging the reporting of discrimination
- Raising awareness: Raising awareness on the topic of equality, diversity and inclusion
In the coming months, The FA will provide online training and education sessions to drive best practice for signatory clubs on equality, diversity and inclusion, recruitment, coaching diversity, reporting discrimination, and youth football.
