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Every youth football academy says it develops players. The brochures look similar, the kit looks smart and the coaches all talk about potential. So how do you tell a good football academy from one that is simply busy?
This guide sets out what "good" really means for a young player. It draws on research into what makes a strong development environment and on the Premier League's own academy rules. It then turns that into seven hallmarks you can check, and a short guide to what to watch for when you visit a session.
A good youth football academy puts long-term development ahead of early results. It has qualified coaches who teach, sessions full of time on the ball, a plan for every player, support for education and wellbeing, a safe culture and honest pathways. Facilities help, but people and environment matter more.
Clubs tend to judge an academy by what it produces: players in the first team, or players sold on. That is what most rankings measure, and it's a fair test for a business.
A parent needs a different test. Even among players who started at a Category 1 academy, the Premier League's own parent guide shows that about 16% went on to make a professional league appearance. That means most young players in even the best-resourced academies will build their lives outside professional football
So a good academy is one that serves every player well: the few who make it, and the many who go on to university, semi-professional football, US college or a career away from the game. It should leave all of them as better players, better learners and more confident young people.
Researchers have spent years studying what separates strong talent development environments from weak ones. A widely cited review found five features that come up again and again. Here's what each one looks like in practice.
Long-term aims and methods
A curriculum that builds year by year, not a scramble to win this weekend
Wide-ranging, coherent messages and support
Coaches, teachers and parents pulling in the same direction
Appropriate development rather than early selection
Patience with late developers, and no writing players off at nine
Individualised and ongoing development
A plan for each player, reviewed regularly
Integrated, holistic and systematic development
Football, education and wellbeing planned together
What the research found
What it looks like at a good academy
Later research on successful environments adds an important point for parents: school, family and friends are part of a young player's development, not a distraction from it. The best academies work with all three.
A good academy knows what it wants a player to be able to do at 11, 14 and 17, and builds towards it season by season. In the younger age groups, winning isn't the main measure. Players get fair match time, try different positions and are judged on progress rather than the scoreline.
Good academies are also patient with late developers. The Premier League began organising bio-banded tournaments in 2015/16, grouping players by physical maturity rather than birthday, so that smaller or later-maturing players get a fair chance.
Ask to see: the academy's curriculum or playing philosophy, and how it shares out match time.
Qualifications are the starting point. The coaching ladder runs from the UEFA C and B diplomas to the UEFA A and Pro, with specialist UEFA Youth B and Elite Youth A awards for coaches working with talented young players. In Premier League academies, every coach must hold at least a UEFA B plus the FA's youth awards, and lead coaches from under-12s upwards must hold a UEFA A.But badges aren't everything. Watch how coaches behave. Good ones ask questions, demonstrate, give specific feedback and let players make decisions. Research on youth sport has found that when coaches support players' independence, players' motivation becomes stronger and more their own.Ask to see: the qualifications of the coaches who would work with your child.
Players improve by playing. Good sessions use small-sided games and game-like practices, with little time spent queuing or listening to long talks. One study of 13-year-olds found that 3v3 games produced significantly more passes, dribbles, tackles and goals per player than 6v6. The FA's grassroots formats are moving the same way, with 3v3 introduced at under-7s from 2026/27 to give children more time on the ball.Group sizes matter too. The FA's safeguarding guidance quotes NSPCC ratios of one adult to six children aged 4 to 8, one to eight at 9 to 12, and one to ten at 13 to 18. Premier League academies must run sessions at no more than one coach to ten players, and cap squads at 30 per age group up to under-14s and 20 at under-15s and under-16s.Ask to see: how many players and coaches are in a typical session.
Every player in a good academy has an individual development plan with clear, measurable targets. It is reviewed regularly and shared with the player and their parents. The Premier League sets a benchmark: its academy rules require reviews every 12 weeks for under-9s to under-11s and every six weeks from under-12s, at least two meetings a year with parents, and an annual written report.Ask to see: an anonymised example of a development plan and review.
The FA's Four Corner Model treats technical and tactical, physical, psychological and social development as equally important. A good academy coaches all four.
That means education is protected, not squeezed. Premier League academies must appoint a Head of Education, and the best programmes of any kind plan football around lessons. It also means strength and conditioning that suits a growing body, injury prevention, monitoring of growth spurts, and proper support for mental health and wellbeing.
Ask to see: how football and schoolwork are balanced, and who looks after your child's wellbeing.
Safeguarding comes first. There should be a named safeguarding lead, properly vetted staff and clear policies that you can read. Every Premier League academy must appoint an academy safeguarding officer, and any good academy should be able to tell you who theirs is straight away.
Culture matters beyond the policies. Young players develop best where they feel safe to make mistakes and speak up, which researchers call psychological safety. The alternative has a cost: a review of why young people drop out of sport found that lack of enjoyment is one of the main reasons.
Ask to see: the safeguarding policy, and how the academy manages behaviour on the touchline.
No academy can guarantee a professional contract, and a good one will tell you so. Instead, it prepares players for several routes: professional and semi-professional football, UK university, and US college scholarships.
Ask about alumni success, but ask the right way. Where did all of last year's leavers go, not just the one who signed for a big club? Good academies also look after players who leave. Premier League clubs, for example, commit to three years of support for players released in the Professional Development Phase.
Ask to see: where recent leavers went, and what support there is for university or US college applications.
Facilities matter, but they are the floor, not the ceiling. The Premier League sets minimums for its academies: Category 1 and 2 academies must have a floodlit outdoor artificial pitch and an indoor pitch of at least 60 by 40 yards.For a family, the facilities that really count are practical ones. All-weather 4G pitches mean training isn't cancelled every time it rains. Space for strength and conditioning, a medical room and, at a school, classrooms close to the pitches all make a difference to a player's week.What facilities can't do is coach. A smart training ground with poor coaching is worse than modest pitches with excellent coaching, so judge the people first.
The best way to judge an academy is to watch it at work. Stand on the touchline for a full session and look for these signs.
Ball-rolling time
Players are active most of the session
Long queues, laps without a ball, lengthy talks
How coaches talk
Short, clear points and plenty of questions
Constant instructions from the side
How mistakes are treated
Mistakes are part of learning; players try again
Players look nervous or are singled out
Attention for every player
Quieter or less confident players get coached too
The same few players get all the attention
Level of challenge
Tasks adjusted so stronger and weaker players are both stretched
One level for everyone
Enjoyment
Energy, effort, smiles, players reluctant to leave
Players going through the motions
The touchline
Calm, supportive parents and staff
Shouting at players or officials
After the session
Coaches check in with individual players
Everyone leaves without a word
What to watch
A good sign
Worth asking about
The names can be confusing. In the Premier League's rules, a development centre is run by a professional club but is "not an Academy". It offers coaching to talented young players who might one day join the academy, and children who attend remain free to play for other teams. An academy place is a formal registration, with the commitments and restrictions that come with it.
It's the same question from the other side. Good academies look beyond size, speed and this season's results. They look for attitude, coachability, technique, decision-making and the potential to keep improving.They also allow for age and maturity. A player born in August can be almost a year younger than a teammate born in September, and a late growth spurt can change everything. Good academies know this, and don't write off smaller or younger players too early.
At our Claremont International Football Academy, the hallmarks above shape how we build the programme.
A good youth football academy is judged by what it does for every player, not just the few who turn professional. Look for a long-term plan, coaches who teach, time on the ball, a plan for your child, support beyond the pitch, a safe culture and honest answers. Then go and watch it for yourself. Explore the Claremont Football Academy or book a tour and bring the checklist above to a session.
Look for seven things: a long-term development plan, qualified coaches who teach, sessions with lots of time on the ball, an individual plan for every player, support for education and wellbeing, a safe and positive culture, and honest pathways. Then watch a full session, talk to the coaches and ask where recent leavers went.
The FA's safeguarding guidance quotes NSPCC ratios of one adult to six children aged 4 to 8, one to eight at 9 to 12, and one to ten at 13 to 18. Premier League academies must run sessions at no more than one coach to ten players. Smaller groups usually mean more individual coaching.
No. No academy can guarantee a contract, and you should be wary of any that suggests otherwise. Premier League figures show about 16% of players who started at a Category 1 academy went on to make a league appearance. Good academies prepare every player for several routes, including university and US college.
A development centre is run by a professional club but is not an academy. It offers coaching to talented young players who might later join the academy, and they stay free to play for other teams. An academy place is a formal registration with the club, with more training and more restrictions.
They matter, but less than the coaching and the environment. Useful facilities include all-weather pitches, space for strength and conditioning and medical support. A modest set-up with excellent coaches will usually do more for a young player than a smart training ground with poor coaching.
In Premier League academies, every coach must hold at least a UEFA B plus the FA's youth awards, and lead coaches from under-12s upwards must hold a UEFA A. Specialist UEFA Youth B and Elite Youth A awards focus on developing talented young players. Outside the professional game, ask each coach directly.
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