BA (Hons) Football Coaching

To achieve success at university and in future professional environments, students must develop a range of personal qualities and professional behaviours that underpin academic achievement and employability. This module acts as a key transition point within Higher Education, introducing students to the complex industry and societal contexts that shape the global sport sector.

The module focuses on the development of personal and professional factors relevant to sport-related employment, while building the competencies, confidence, and independence required for effective academic study. Students will be introduced to essential IT systems for academic and professional use, including the effective management of personal files and data. The module develops academic and professional writing skills, with a strong emphasis on report writing, academic conventions, and correct referencing.

Information Research and Data Integration, students will learn how to locate, evaluate, and use information from a range of academic and professional sources. This includes the use of library resources, online databases, journals, and digital discovery tools (e.g. Explore). Emphasis is placed on integrating information and data to produce coherent academic and professional reports.

This module will facilitate the development of students’ awareness and understanding of fundamental principles which underpin football coaching, integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application and encouraging the exchange of ideas through critical discussion and debate. The practical coaching component will provide opportunities to develop experience in, and insight into, the cognitive processes involved in effective coaching practice. Students will develop an understanding of the knowledge and skills required for a coach to operate effectively across a range of contexts, enhancing their reflective capabilities and their ability to identify and apply appropriate theoretical frameworks within specific coaching environments. Furthermore, students will be supported to critically reflect upon and evaluate their own strengths and areas for development, and to formulate a structured plan to enhance both their technical and behavioural competencies relevant to professional practice within the coaching industry.

The intense demands of identifying, selecting and developing some of the brightest young talents in football place more pressure on staff and clubs than ever before. Given such demands, students (i.e. as a scout or coach) will find themselves navigating through ever-changing, complex and challenging environments. Therefore, developing an ability to nurture talented individuals is an essential part of a football club’s environment. This module, therefore, aims to introduce the complexities of talent development. The module will further introduce a wide range of topics and themes that can support student understanding of talent development. Here, considerations around academic models of talent development, environments, and cultures will be included. We will also consider performance pathways for a range of athletes across a number of different sports

Within this module students will consider the concept of ‘community’ and how it is interpreted and applied across football development initiatives. Students will employ a critical and politically informed lens to create a culturally aware, inclusive and reflective football development analysis. This will require students to obtain the knowledge, understanding and practical experience of a range of topics that relate to coaching, sports development, and the wider participation and development of football. Students will be encouraged to engage in a range of concepts highlighting the current grassroots football/community landscape, potential barriers and ways practitioners can champion positive recreational activity throughout the coaching process. In addition, students will explore the issues of equality, inclusion and potential barriers to participation in football.

This module introduces students to the knowledge and skills required for effective leadership and management within association football across different levels of the game. Students will examine the skills, qualities, and characteristics needed to succeed in managerial roles from grassroots football to the elite professional environment.

Through the use of case studies, students will analyse examples of both successful and unsuccessful football managers, enabling them to compare and contrast different leadership and management styles. The module also explores the roles and responsibilities of football managers, considering how leadership approaches vary across contexts and levels of the game.

Finally, the module introduces the organisational and managerial foundations of association football within a global context. Students will examine the historical development of football governance, from local club structures to transnational governing bodies such as FIFA, CONCACAF, and UEFA.

This module introduces an essential coaching toolkit for working with young players in the Foundation Phase. Students will explore key non-linear pedagogical approaches, including Teaching Games for Understanding and the Constraints-Led Approach, and consider how these support children’s learning in football. The module will examine fundamental principles of play in attack and defence, how young players develop understanding of the game, and how to positively manage mistakes in practice. Through a player-centred, ecological approach and the use of gamified learning activities, students will design engaging practice environments that encourage decision-making, problem-solving, and the development of game craft and understanding.

This module is designed to enhance students’ professional employability and industry readiness by developing practical career management and self-marketing skills. It focuses on enabling students to articulate their skills, experience, and professional identity effectively across industry-standard platforms and recruitment processes.

Students will engage with contemporary employment practices, employer expectations, and digital professional environments. Through applied workshops and reflective activities, students will develop and refine a professional CV, tailored cover letters, and an online professional profile (e.g. LinkedIn), aligned with their chosen industry sector. The module emphasises self-awareness, critical reflection, and adaptability, equipping students with transferable skills that support career progression, employability, and lifelong learning.

The module supports students to evaluate their existing skill sets, apply theory to practice, and make informed decisions about personal branding and professional communication within competitive employment contexts.

This module aims to provide students with insights into match and performance analysis practices. Students will explore key performance indicators with particular reference to both technical and tactical analysis. Students will also establish how to use a range of match analysis methods from notational to applying technological advancements to enhance your efficiency in providing feedback. Students will develop techniques to evaluate teams’ overall performance both technical and tactical in order to provide feedback to inform decision making.

This module develops students’ understanding of leadership and management within football contexts, with a particular focus on how managers and coaches work with individuals and groups to enhance performance. Students critically examine established and contemporary theories of leadership and management, alongside psychological principles that influence behaviour, motivation, communication, and team dynamics.

The module emphasises the application of leadership and management concepts within football environments, including the management of high-performing teams and diverse individual personalities. Students analyse how cultural, social, and psychological factors impact team cohesion, decision-making, and performance both on and off the pitch.

Through reflective practice, students evaluate their own leadership behaviours and management approaches when working with players and teams, identifying areas for development. Case study analysis is used extensively, drawing on examples from grassroots football, academy systems, and the professional game. Comparative perspectives explore leadership practices across different football cultures, including English clubs balancing tradition and innovation, MLS franchises managing multicultural squads, and elite European clubs integrating academy players alongside established professionals.

This module supports the development of critical thinking, applied problem-solving, and professional judgement relevant to leadership roles within the football industry

This module will explore the process of reflection, its role in the development of knowledge and expertise, and its subsequent impact on practice. Students will examine and critically evaluate the key factors associated with a sound reflective process and what it is to be an effective reflective practitioner. Using reflective theory and models, students will learn how to navigate critical moments that occur within your practice and develop new strategies that aid in your personal development as a coach. The module will review varied methods of reflection and evaluate and justify their impact and effectiveness.

This module is designed to provide students with comprehensive guidance on effective coaching practice within youth development environments for the 12–16 age group. Students will first critically examine key coaching and practice design approaches, including game-based methodologies, whole–part–whole frameworks, and constraints-led coaching. They will also consider factors related to adolescent maturation, such as the relative age effect and the implications of physical development for coaching practice. By engaging with these considerations, students will develop a more informed and nuanced approach to the design and delivery of football coaching within this age group, thereby supporting the holistic development of young athletes in this age group.

International Talent Management explores how football clubs, governing bodies and related organisations identify, develop, recruit and retain players within a globalised industry. The module situates talent not simply as a sporting asset, but as part of an international labour market shaped by economic forces, regulatory frameworks and cross-border migration systems. Students examine how players move between regions, how markets are structured (for example, exporting and importing leagues), and how governance rules such as FIFA regulations, work permits and financial controls influence global talent flows.

A central focus of the module is the comparison of academy systems and recruitment models across different football cultures. Students will analyse how clubs in Europe, North America, South America and Africa design development pathways, balance sporting and financial objectives, and position themselves strategically within the global transfer market. The module also evaluates the growing influence of data analytics, scouting technologies and multi-club ownership models in shaping modern talent strategies, highlighting how performance metrics increasingly inform recruitment and valuation decisions.

This module provides an in-depth exploration of the professional role of the football scout within modern performance and recruitment structures. It critically examines scouting as a multidisciplinary process situated at the intersection of performance analysis, organisational strategy, psychology, and talent development.

Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of how talent identification operates within contemporary football ecosystems, where subjective evaluation, objective performance data, contextual intelligence, and long-term projection must be integrated to inform recruitment decisions under uncertainty.

Rather than treating scouting as isolated match observation, the module positions it as a structured decision-making process that contributes directly to squad construction, competitive identity, and financial sustainability.

This module aims to enhance students knowledge of the differing aspects within elite sport and highlight the essential roles they play in that environment. The various components of this module will explain the complexities and challenges associated with elite athletes, coaches and the wider multidisciplinary team. The module will guide students through being an effective coach to high-ability athletes, while also being able to lead and manage other key stakeholders. Understanding and recognising the value and worth of the varying sections of an elite environment is a necessity in developing the required knowledge, practical skills and communication styles to excel. This module aims to develop contextualised knowledge of elite environments, maximising potential and enhance practice in a sporting context. The module will introduce students to philosophies, principles and theories relevant to elite environments and sport.

This module provides students with the opportunity to draw together the knowledge, skills and understanding you have developed throughout their studies and apply these to the independent design, development and execution of an individual professional project. The project will focus on an original, contemporary issue that is relevant to the sports industry and discipline and will enable students to demonstrate their academic and professional capabilities in a coherent and meaningful way. The project is expected to make a valuable contribution to industry practice and/or to academic and practitioner knowledge. The project will be research- and inquiry-based, requiring students to investigate their chosen issue systematically, engage critically with relevant evidence, and make informed, well-justified judgements. It will be directly aligned with student’s programme of study and presented in a format that best supports your project aims and future career aspirations. Throughout the module, students will work closely with a dedicated project supervisor who will provide guidance, support and feedback as you progress through the research and project development.

When working in the dynamic sports industry, it is essential to understand the variety of positions and different roles within the wider sports industry, alongside the array of skills required to succeed in these positions. The module will develop industry insight, leadership skills and other skills required to work in the industry. Students will be exposed to a range of successful sports leaders from our global network of partners and academics, contributing to live case studies.

Students will have the option to apply their knowledge and personal skillset to problem-based learning scenarios in a chosen environment of their own or via attending a GIS global summit.

Students will have the opportunity to attend one of the GIS global summits or virtual summit. The summits aim to promote critical reflection and self-awareness of students’ capabilities, self-knowledge, and skills required to succeed in the global sports industry. The module allows students to take responsibility for their own personal development and effectiveness through the development of a professional skills audit and training plan.

• Applicants will be asked to achieve 112 UCAS points under the UCAS point scheme or international equivalent. Professional experience and industry qualifications can be assessed for applicants without the necessary UCAS points.​
• Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of their Maths and English Language GCSE (Grade C/4 or above).​
• English Language Requirements:
  If you’re applying from a country where English is not the majority spoken language, you’ll need to demonstrate your English proficiency. We accept a range of internationally recognised qualifications, with the minimum standard being: IELTS score of 6.0 overall, with no individual component below 5.5, or an equivalent. Accepted qualifications include: IELTS Academic, IELTS for UKVI, TOEFL iBT, Oxford ELLT, PTE Academic, Cambridge IGCSE, ESOL, and IESO.
• Oxford ELLT is an English Language Level Test, approved by Global Institute of Sport that can be used as evidence of a candidate’s English language proficiency for international admissions.
  • We require a minimum ELLT score of 5, with at least 5 in each individual component.