FIFA has introduced a new rule requiring all women’s teams in its competitions to include female representation on their technical bench, marking a significant shift in the structure of the women’s game, Trybal News reports.
The decision was confirmed following the FIFA Council meeting on March 19, 2026, with the new regulation taking immediate effect. Teams competing in upcoming tournaments such as the FIFA U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups, as well as the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, must now have at least one female head coach or assistant coach, alongside a minimum of two female staff members on the bench.
The move is part of FIFA’s wider effort to strengthen the growth of women’s football by ensuring more opportunities for women in leadership and coaching roles across both club and international competitions.
FIFA’s Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis explained the reasoning behind the decision, highlighting the need to address the imbalance in coaching positions.
“There are simply not enough women in coaching today. We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibility for women on our sidelines,” she said.
“The new FIFA regulations, combined with targeted development programs, mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches.”
The issue has been evident at the highest level, with only 12 of the 32 teams at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup led by female head coaches, underlining the gap FIFA is now aiming to close.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has also previously stressed the importance of increasing female presence within the game, particularly in technical roles.
“Of course we need more women in important positions in football,” he said.
“So, we should support, of course, more women in football positions and more women generally. Maybe we need … more women coaches in women’s teams.”
“This is another debate that we will have to have at some stage because we’ve seen that there are excellent coaches. We saw it at the last European Championship, how women’s football is healthy, how women’s football is growing.”
The new policy forms part of FIFA’s long term strategy, combining regulatory changes with continued investment in coach education and development programmes. The governing body hopes the initiative will lead to a stronger pipeline of female coaches and greater representation on the sidelines ahead of future competitions, including the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
