England: The Football Assocation launches a plan to combat discrimination in amateur football

The Football Association, in conjunction with Kick It Out, has launched a plan to combat discrimination in amateur football, announced the body on 17/11/2023.

Developed after consultation with the results of a study carried out on discrimination (see below), the plan is built around three axes: "increasing awareness and knowledge of serious incidents; improving reporting; and tackling specific problem areas where serious incidents are most prevalent," explained The FA.

To achieve this, Kick It Out has "expanded its grassroots team, developed specific educational resources, created better pitch access opportunities for underrepresented groups, and is working to increase the number of clubs and leagues they interact with through Kick It Out's Equality Charter."

Furthermore, the action plan builds on:
• The FA's ongoing work to tackle "unacceptable and discriminatory behaviour, which includes the introduction of points deductions for teams who commit repeated offences";
• A new EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) ambassador scheme across the County FA network;
• The possibility of…