The Programme helps to:
• Target investment
• Deliver an improved service and support structure to leagues
• Improve communication with leagues
• Ensure succession planning within leagues
• Rationalise existing league structures
• Help implement the principles of Long Term Player Development
• Grow football for underrepresented groups
• Improve efficiency and sustainability of leagues
• Deliver on the Respect Programme
The Charter Standard League Programme assesses the ability of leagues to provide a high quality, safe and enjoyable football experience against a standard set of criteria. It also encourage leagues to continuously develop, through on-going support from County FA staff and the review and on-going development of a league development plan, as part of an annual health check process.
The Charter Standard League Programme is open to all FA Sanctioned Leagues.
The criteria for the Programme are divided into 6 development areas, reflecting the approach of the National Game Strategy:
- Growth and Retention.
- Raising Standards and Addressing Behaviour
- Better Players
- Running the Game
- Workforce Development
Benefits to leagues
By signing up to working towards Charter Standard League status, leagues will be demonstrating that they are willing to work towards a minimum operating standard and to raising standards and addressing poor behaviour within the league and member clubs by encouraging teams to gain Charter Standard Club status as part of the Charter Standard League criteria. Leagues will also be demonstrating, by reviewing what they do well, what they want to do better and by identifying how they can improve, that they are committed to developing better players and to investing in the workforce.
The benefits of achieving Charter Standard League status, are that leagues will have a clear development plan in place, together with an agreed support package with their County FA. Charter Standard Leagues will also be demonstrating that they are committed to the Respect programme and will have procedures in place to improve standards and address poor behaviour in the game, a key priority for all those involved in Football. Leagues will also gain recognition that they are committed to a quality experience for all and that they are a well run league.
Gaining Charter Standard League status
An on-line registration and assessment process has been developed to support The FA Charter Standard League Programme. Once leagues have registered their interest in working towards Charter Standard League status, they will be supported to an agreed level by Devon County FA staff, who will be able to sign off criteria as they are met by the league.
Once the league can demonstrate that it meets all the criteria through an evidence portfolio, the Devon County FA will sign off the league and Charter Standard League status will be awarded. Leagues will then be expected to undertake an annual health check as part of the process, a key element of which will be the review and update of a league development plan.
There are currently 2 Leagues in Devon that have been awarded this status, they are;
- Devon Girls Football League
- Devon Ability Counts League
- Exeter and District Youth League
- S1 North Devon Youth League
For more information on this programme, please contact Mark Young at the Devon County FA on 01626 323562 or at mark.young@devonfa.com