New FIFA rule forces JFF to adjust women’s coaching structures

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) will have to make adjustments to its coaching set-up in the national women’s football teams in order to comply with Thursday’s announcement by the world governing body for football that effective this year, each team participating in FIFA women’s competitions, must have a woman as their head coach and/or at least one of the assistant coaches.

The FIFA rule, which requires at least one member of the medical staff and at least two officials seated on the team bench be a woman, impacts all youth and senior tournaments, national team competitions, and club competitions.

President of the JFF Michael Ricketts told The Gleaner the Federation is not totally surprised by the FIFA decision and has already started the process to ensure compliance.

“So we just had a meeting today and we are looking at the possible candidates and probably an overhaul of our coaching staff but we are looking at two options to add as maybe an assistant right now especially for our senior women’s programme. We do have World Cup qualifying games here on April 10 and 16 and we have to hit the track running in this regard. So like I said we are looking at options right now and hopefully by the squad gets here for that qualifying game that we would have probably by then make some additions to the coaching staff.”

The senior Reggae Girlz, now contesting qualifiers to advance to their third straight world tournament, has Morgan Ruhl as their goalkeeper coach, but the two assistant coaches are men.

The backroom staff also includes team physician Dr Gillian Lawrence, physiotherapist Dr Sandra Codling, Rene Balconi, physical trainer and Trishana McGowan, press officer.

The rule also applies for youth teams where former national representative Sashana Campbell is the assistant coach to the Under 20 Reggae Girlz while Tamera Williams is the assistant coach of the Under 17 team, now in Aruba contesting the Concacaf Under 17 World Cup qualifiers.

In welcoming Thursday’s decision, head of the JFF’s Women’s Football Committee, Elaine Walker-Brown told The Gleaner it was long overdue and is FIFA’s response to federations not yielding to the quiet urging of the world governing body.

“I think it comes at a time when they have to be decisive to ensure that it can move forward and if you notice some of the World Cup teams the head coaches are women. So I applaud FIFA, because the women’s game is growing and most of the men are presidents of the member associations and they just going through the motions, because they have men in it and the men can just coach and are not giving the women a chance and even the women there need to be more educated and get their “A” license and their pro licenses ... and so I say it (FIFA’s decision) can only be good for the game,” Walker-Brown said.

President of the Jamaica Olympic Association Christopher Samuda also hailed FIFA’s decision describing it as “forward thinking.”

“We all know that the history of football is patriarchal, but times, you know, have changed and people must change and FIFA and others have not been immune to the matriarchal evolution of the game. So any reasonable person, any reasonable man or woman, will applaud this decisive move to build in women and to create opportunities for them for personal development and to position women as an equal asset in the treasury of the sport and therefore policy and economic arrangements must reflect that level playing field,” Samuda told The Gleaner.

Twelve of the 32 teams at the 2023 FIFA World Cup were coached by women, including former Dutch international Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of England, the only men’s or women’s manager to reach five consecutive global tournament finals.

In 2024 Emma Hayes, who won multiple titles with English Premier League club Chelsea, was named head coach of the United States, while late last year Costa Rica named Brazilian Lindsay Camila as their head coach.

An ‘A’ licence is required to coach at the elite club level while a Pro licence is required to coach at the national level.

In announcing the decision of its council on Thursday, FIFA said it is part of its “broader strategy to ensure that the rapid growth of the women’s game is matched by an increased representation of women in technical and leadership roles”.

The world governing body pointed out that despite the significant expansion of the women’s game globally, coaching positions remain predominantly occupied by men.

The rule will take effect at the FIFA Under 20 Women’s World Cup in Poland in September, followed by the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, all scheduled for this year and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, set to be held in Brazil next year.