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🧠 Understanding the FA's Concussion Guidelines Course



"If in doubt, sit them out." – Protecting Players at Every Level

Concussion in football is no longer a fringe topic — it's central to player welfare. With rising awareness across all levels of the game, the FA / England Football Learning "Concussion Guidelines" course empowers coaches with the essential knowledge to identify, manage, and respond appropriately to head injuries.


Whether you're working in grassroots football or elite environments, understanding concussion protocols is a non-negotiable skill in the modern game.


🚨 Why This Course Matters


The course is designed around the urgent need to:


  • Protect players from long-term neurological harm

  • Equip coaches with clear, consistent guidance

  • Foster a safety-first culture in all football environments

  • Reinforce the message: "If in doubt, sit them out"


“We’re not just coaching footballers — we’re safeguarding lives.”

📚 Course Overview: What You’ll Learn


🧠 1. What is a Concussion?


  • The medical definition and football-specific examples

  • How even minor knocks can lead to serious outcomes

  • The invisible nature of concussion symptoms


👀 Key takeaway: Concussion isn’t always obvious — coaches must remain alert at all times.


⛑️ 2. Signs and Symptoms to Watch For


  • Physical: dizziness, headache, balance issues

  • Cognitive: confusion, memory loss, dazed expression

  • Emotional/Behavioral: irritability, sluggishness

  • Delayed symptoms: can appear minutes or hours later


“You don’t need to see a player collapse to take action.”

🧭 3. The Step-by-Step Concussion Protocol


  • Stop play immediately if a concussion is suspected

  • Remove the player from the pitch — no return the same day

  • Refer to medical professionals for assessment

  • Implement the "Return to Play" protocol (a 5-step staged process)


📆 Players must be symptom-free and cleared before resuming contact activity.


🗣️ 4. Communicating With Parents, Players, and Staff


  • How to calmly and clearly explain concussion risks

  • Ensuring informed consent before return to activity

  • Emphasising the importance of medical oversight


👨‍👩‍👧 This is especially vital at youth level, where coaches often serve as first responders and trusted figures.


⚖️ 5. Legal, Ethical and FA Guidelines


  • Why ignoring or mismanaging concussion risks legal liability

  • Your duty of care as a coach

  • Aligning with The FA's national guidelines and safeguarding framework


“Coaching is about development, but player safety must come first — always.”

🧑‍🏫 How the Course Is Delivered


  • ✅ Online and free to access

  • 🕐 Takes approximately 30 minutes to complete

  • 🎯 Interactive quizzes and real-world scenarios

  • 📜 Certificate awarded upon successful completion


💡 Perfect for any coach, parent, or volunteer working in football — from grassroots to academy.


⚽ Putting It Into Practice


Having completed this course, you're now equipped to:


✔ Recognise concussion signs immediately

✔ Act decisively and confidently

✔ Communicate with parents and professionals

✔ Keep players safe and supported during recovery

✔ Be a vocal advocate for a safety-first football culture


🧬 Concussion Awareness: A Core Coaching Skill


Player welfare is no longer a "nice to have" — it’s an essential part of your coaching toolkit. The Concussion Guidelines course ensures that your sessions, your team, and your club are aligned with modern safeguarding standards.


“The best coaches don’t just develop players — they protect them.”

🏁 In Summary


The FA Concussion Guidelines course provides a clear framework for recognising, responding to, and managing head injuries in football. Every coach should treat this knowledge as essential, not optional.


🌍 Supporting Players Beyond the Game


Steve Halls is an FA qualified football coach offering consultancy, talent identification, mentoring and player representation in Cheshunt and the surrounding areas. In today’s connected world, Steve can offer his services to players, clubs, and organisations across the globe. With safety at the heart of his coaching philosophy, Steve champions player welfare alongside technical excellence.











NexxtGen Football Applauds McDonald's Fun Football & Kick It Out for Groundbreaking Coaching Development Initiative





In an inspiring move towards fostering diversity and skill development in grassroots football coaching, McDonald's Fun Football and Kick It Out have joined forces to introduce a pioneering coaching development platform and bursary fund. NexxtGen Football proudly supports such initiatives that strive to elevate the standards of equality, diversity, and inclusion in football across the UK.


This unprecedented three-year partnership aims to make McDonald’s Fun Football the epitome of inclusivity in the UK's football landscape. Leveraging Kick It Out’s extensive network and expertise, the initiative seeks to reach passionate groups currently facing barriers to coaching due to costly courses or a lack of opportunities and knowledge.


Steve Halls, Technical Director at NexxtGen Football, expressed his thoughts on the collaboration, stating, "NexxtGen Football fully supports and commends McDonald’s Fun Football and Kick It Out for this groundbreaking initiative. It aligns with our vision of creating a more inclusive and diverse football community, starting from the grassroots level. We believe in the power of such partnerships to transform the landscape of football coaching and provide equitable opportunities for all."


Grassroots football coaching has historically grappled with underinvestment, but this collaboration promises to drive positive change. The new course, designed in partnership with Kick It Out, aims to equip coaches with the tools to address unconscious bias, champion inclusivity, and provide essential support for coaching players from minority backgrounds.

More than 150 McDonald’s Fun Football coaches will have early access to the online course, with plans to make it available publicly via Kick It Out’s digital channels for those with a Level One qualification and above.


In addition to the coaching course, McDonald’s & Kick It Out are launching a coaching bursary to financially support aspiring coaches. The focus is on diversifying the coaching workforce and increasing the number of women coaches in the sport, ensuring that the grassroots football coaching network mirrors the diversity of communities across the UK.


Applications for the bursary will be available through Kick It Out’s Raise Your Game platform, where a Kick It Out funding panel will meticulously review each case to determine successful applicants.


Andrew Moys, Vice President Impact and Communications, McDonald’s UK and Ireland, remarked, "Our goal is to ensure the McDonald’s Fun Football programme is not only the largest but the most inclusive free football programme in the UK. Partnering with an organization like Kick It Out will enable our coaches to create meaningful change in their weekly sessions, and we are excited about the impact that this partnership will have on grassroots football coaching in the UK over the next few years."


Hollie Varney, Kick It Out’s Chief Operating Officer, shared her sentiments, saying, “Together, we have big ambitions for grassroots football over the next three years, and we are excited to get started.”


In 2023, over 300,000 children enjoyed access to free McDonald’s Fun Football sessions held in over 1,500 locations, with plans to expand in 2024. NexxtGen Football applauds this initiative for providing communities with unprecedented access to free football coaching, fostering a love for the game among the next generation.


Best wishes,






Steve Halls

NexxtGen Football

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