1. What if I need support to complete my Event information?
All the information you should need can be found here
For further help with ideas and for localised knowledge contact your County Football Association.
For help with technical issues contact the Big Football Day Technical Support service.
2. What is Big Football Day?
To celebrate the Women’s EURO 2025 this summer and to help make football accessible to more women and girls, clubs and providers are encouraged to host a Big Football Day Event during the month of July.
Clubs can put on a fun and welcoming day to encourage new participation and bring the local community together for football taster sessions, match screenings, food, festivities and more.
3. What could a Big Football Day look like?
From one football taster session for a specific audience through to a 2 day event across the weekend, and everything in between, Big Football Day can be shaped in any way that suits you and your club.
You can pick the session types (football or walking football), the target audience (age and disability) and the dates and times for your sessions. You may want to consider using the day to target a new audience to develop a new team or session for your club.
An example one day event could look like…
17:00 – Arrival and welcomes
17:00 – 17:45 – 5-11 year olds taster session
18:00 – 18:45 – 12-16 year olds taster session
19:00 – 19:45 – Pan-disability youth taster session
20:00 – 20:45 - Adult women’s (16+) taster session
19:00 – 21:00 - BBQ and games
21:00 – France vs England watch party
4. How could Big Football Day help my club / programme?
Gather and celebrate with your existing members
Engage new participants, coaches or volunteers
Bring together your local community to support England in the Womens EURO 2025
Access to a free football festival pack when you register your event
5. How do clubs and providers get involved?
Clubs and providers can access the online system ‘Book Football’ to create their event and then share their booking link with new and existing participants
6. When can I deliver a Big Football Day event?
Clubs and providers can deliver their event any date and time during July 2025. It is recommended that events are ran on England match days to bring excitement but it’s not mandatory. Check out the WEURO2025 fixture schedule here to help you select your event date.
7. Can I charge for my Event?
Yes, the Book Football platform allows for payments to be taken. If you need help when setting this up please click here.
8. What are the key dates that I need to be aware of?
You can register your event from the 14th April 2025, by uploading all your key information, session types and times. You can then access the free resources to promote and deliver your Big Football Day to make it a big success!
Participants can book onto your event as soon as it’s been created. Parents and players can search and book onto an event using Find Football or you can send out a direct link to your event
England Football will be promoting Big Football Days up and down the country via social media from 30th May onwards.
9. Who can book on to the events?
The football taster sessions are aimed at women and girls, whereas other activities such as the match screenings should be open to all.
Clubs can choose to provide activity for youth, open age (16+), adult only (18+), disability specific, or more than one of these groups, or even all of them - if you have the coaches/volunteers to do so. Manage the groupings within your sessions within two year age bandings where numbers allow.
Parents and players can search and book onto an event using Find Football
10. What is the process in Book Football to sign my club up?
In Book Football there are two checklists a provider needs to do to create their Big Football Day Event:
Organisation Checklist
Event Checklist
In the Organisation Checklist you can:
Add Payment Details
Accept T&C's
Confirm risk assessment has been completed
Show proof of insurance (the proof of insurance is auto-completed for affiliated football clubs. For non-clubs, you will need to upload an insurance document which will then be reviewed and approved by the County FA).
In the Event Checklist you can:
Add staff – see question below for what coaches / volunteers you will need.
Add event date
Add session details
11. What staff will I need for my event?
The registration process within Book Football will require you to submit specific staff details as follows, which are dependent on if you are running a U18 or 18+ event:
FOR EVENTS 18+ |
| FOR EVENTS WITH UNDER 18s | ||
LEAD DELIVERER |
| LEAD DELIVERER | ASSISTANT DELIVERER | *DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING OFFICER |
AGED 18+ |
| AGED 18+ | AGED 18+ | AGED 18+ |
FA INTRODUCTION TO EMERGENCY FIRST AID |
| FA INTRODUCTION TO EMERGENCY FIRST AID |
|
|
EE PLAYMAKER (MINIMUM)
|
| EE PLAYMAKER (MINIMUM) |
|
|
|
| IN DATE FA DBS | IN DATE FA DBS | IN DATE FA DBS |
|
| SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN |
| SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN |
|
|
|
| WELFARE OFFICER COURSE |
*This role can be undertaken by the Lead or Assistant Deliverer
In addition to the staff checks that are built in to the registration process, all Big Football Events should have a Designated Safeguarding Officer with the relevant safeguarding training depending on who your event is for:
Youth Football Sessions = FA Safeguarding Children & Welfare Officer Course (these are checked for within the registration process)
Open Age Football Sessions = FA Player Welfare Course
Open Age Disability Football Sessions = FA Safeguarding Adults Course
Any further coaches / volunteers you will need will depend on:
how many participants sign up to your sessions
their age
any additional needs
if the sessions are disability specific.
Please refer to the guidance document Ratios of adults to children (download 5.5).
12. What should I do if I want to deliver to an age band wider than 2 years (e.g. 5-11s)?
When inputting session min and max ages you will be encouraged to run sessions for 2 year age bands, however if you wish to run a session for an age band wider than this then you will need to have a risk assessment in place with the appropriate safeguards.
Disability football has dispensation to adopt a maximum 4 year age banding up to and including U16s only, we recommend U8, U12 and U16 as initial age bandings to introduce.
13. Are there any incentives for clubs or providers to deliver an event?
The first 50 Events to be registered will receive the ‘early bird’ Big Football Day pack which contains branded banners, bunting and flags to create a festival vibe, and various goodies for participants including some special Nike rewards
All other Events will receive a Big Football Day pack will receive a similar pack with smaller quantities
14. What other support will be available to clubs and providers?
To help you promote your event you will get access to Big Football Day digital assets including editable posters, images and suggested copy for use on your club social media platforms.
To help you deliver your session you can make use of the Big Football Day session plans for 5-11 year olds, 12-16 year olds, and open age/adults.
All of these resources can be found and downloaded from the ‘Resources’ section within Book Football.
The FA will also be promoting all Big Football Day events via their social channels in the build up to the Women’s EURO 2025.
15. What do I do if someone is not booked on to my event but turns up on the day?
We suggest you have a QR code available at your welcome desk on the day to allow participants to scan and book then and there. This will give you the vital medical and contact information you need for participants. You can find and download your QR code in Book Football.
Alternatively, you can add participants yourself within the admin area of Book Football.
16. What support is available to sustain or create new female teams and sessions after my Big Football Day event(s)?
You can apply to deliver an England Football Programme; Wildcats for girls aged 5-11, Squad for girls aged 12-14 or Just Play for 16+
Equal Game includes an online toolkit and face to face training workshops that provide you with everything you need to grow and develop female football at your club
Your local County FA may have an Equal Game Ambassador who can offer bespoke support to your Club to help you grow or develop your female provision. Contact your County FA to find out more.
The Barclays Community Football Fund is available for community sports groups to apply for funds to increase young people’s access to play