Updated 9 November 2026 · Written for grassroots coaches by Gafferbook
EE Playmaker by England Football (once called The FA Playmaker) is a free online entry-level course for anyone helping out in grassroots football, from age 14. It takes a few hours, needs no experience, covers making football safe, fun and inclusive, and is the usual first step before Introduction to Coaching Football.
Who it's for
Parents helping at training, new volunteer coaches, young leaders and anyone thinking about getting involved. You don't need any football experience or qualifications, just an FA Number (FAN) and a phone, tablet or computer.
What you learn
- Making football inclusive and welcoming for every player
- Connecting with players and understanding what they want from football
- Planning safe, fun activities
- An introduction to safeguarding
It's split into short online modules and takes around four to five hours in total. You can dip in and out at your own pace.
What comes next
Once you've finished, you can move on to Introduction to Coaching Football (the course that replaced the FA Level 1), if you want to. There's no pressure to; many volunteers stop at Playmaker and that's fine.
For the full pathway, see our coaching badges guide.
Traffic lights
3v3 end-zone game