Why This Matters for You as a Parent
Academy Categories Explained The EPPP is not just administrative background. It directly affects:
- How many hours your child trains each week - regulated by phase and category
- Whether your child can play for their grassroots club - generally not, once registered
- What happens if a higher-category club wants to sign your child - a formal, compensated process
- What standards the academy must meet - coaching qualifications, welfare, education provision
Understanding the basics means you can ask better questions and follow the process with more confidence.
EPPP at a Glance
Academy categories
Levels 1-4 based on audited facilities, staffing and coaching hours.
Contact hours
Regulated minimum and maximum coaching time by age group and category.
Recruitment rules
Catchment area limits and registration rules for academy players.
Compensation
Formula-based fees when players move between clubs.
Welfare and education
Minimum safeguarding, education and player welfare standards across academies.
Why the EPPP Was Introduced
EPPP replaced previous academy structures with a more standardised national framework. Coaching quality, training volume and compensation when players moved between clubs varied enormously across the professional game.
The EPPP was designed to raise standards - particularly at the top end - while giving clubs a consistent framework with protection for their investment in youth development.
The Category System
Every academy is audited and awarded a category from 1 to 4, based on facilities, staffing, coaching qualifications and hours delivered. Category determines:
- The investment required from the club
- How many contact hours players receive at each phase
- The compensation fees payable when players move between clubs
- The level of ongoing oversight and re-auditing
Contact Hours by Phase
The figures below are approximate and reflect Category 1 operation - lower-category clubs deliver fewer contact hours:
- Foundation Phase (U9-U11): Around 4 hours of football activity per week but contact hours vary by category, phase and club; parents should ask for the current weekly schedule. This is lower than many parents expect, and is deliberate - EPPP was designed to prevent over-training at young ages.
- Youth Development Phase (U12-U16): Rising to roughly 10-12 hours per week at Category 1, spread across training sessions and match days.
- Professional Development Phase (U17-21): Full-time training environments at top clubs.
Lower-category clubs operate with fewer hours. For some families, this is actually less logistically demanding and better suited to a player who is still developing academically or physically.
Football Parent note: The contact hour figures in EPPP documentation describe the regulated parameters - not what every club actually delivers. Some clubs operate close to the maximum; others are more moderate. Ask a club specifically about weekly session commitments early on, rather than assuming based on category alone.
Compensation and Player Movement
When a player moves from a lower-category club to a higher-category one, the receiving club pays a set compensation fee to the original club. These fees are formula-based and determined by the category of the club releasing the player - not through negotiation with families.
This matters practically:
- Lower-category clubs are aware their strongest players can be recruited away for fixed fees
- Player movements between clubs involve formal processes - this is not simply a family's decision
- Parents should always be kept informed during this process, but the negotiation happens between clubs
What EPPP Means Day to Day
For most parents, the daily relevance of EPPP is about structure and expectations:
- Training hours are regulated and should not be excessive at younger ages
- Clubs must meet coaching and welfare standards to maintain their category
- There are formal processes for registration, trials and player movement
It doesn't mean every academy delivers identical experiences - Category 1 and Category 4 clubs are very different environments. But it does mean minimum standards exist across the system and clubs are accountable to them.
FAQ: EPPP Explained
Does EPPP apply to all football clubs? No - only to professional clubs that operate Category 1-4 academies. Grassroots and amateur clubs operate under separate FA structures.
Can a club prevent my child from moving to a higher-category academy? A club cannot simply block movement outside the rules, but academy movement follows formal PL/EFL processes. The receiving club must pay the relevant compensation fee. The process is formal and handled between clubs.
What is the EPPP audit process? Clubs are assessed against detailed criteria - facilities, coaching ratios, welfare procedures, hours delivered. Category status can be revised following audit, so a club's category can change over time. Always verify current status with the club directly.
Is there a difference between EPPP and the FA's grassroots talent pathways? Yes. EPPP governs professional club academies. The FA runs separate talent identification and development programmes at grassroots level - including county FA programmes - which operate alongside but independently of the EPPP structure.
Useful Sources
If you'd like to explore the academy system in more detail, these official resources are a good place to start:
-Premier League: Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP)
-Premier League Youth Development Rules - The official rulebook covering academy categories, player registration, recruitment and compensation.
View the handbook
-England Football Safeguarding - Guidance for parents and clubs on welfare and safeguarding standards in football.
-PFA Youth Advisory Service - Independent advice and support for academy players and their families.
-UK Coaching – Play Their Way - Child-first coaching guidance focused on enjoyment, wellbeing and long-term development.
