Coaching Requirements

The Canada Soccer Safe Sport Roster is a progressive package of programs, policies, and procedures designed to ensure that organizations that offer soccer programming in Canada create safe, fun, developmentally appropriate, inclusive, accessible, and welcoming experiences for all participants. For amateur soccer organizations in Canada, the expansion of the Canada Soccer Youth Club Licensing Program as a requirement of membership has been implemented as a direct result of the unanimous adoption of the Canada Soccer Safe Sport Roster at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Members. Ahead of the start of the 2023 soccer season, all member organizations (clubs and academies) that offer youth soccer programming in a Canada Soccer Member Association Province and Territory will be required to meet the minimum Standards of Quality Soccer to be recognized as Quality Soccer Provider within the Canada Soccer Youth Club Licensing Program and in support of the guiding principles of the Safe Sport Roster. Within the Standards for Quality Soccer, it is required that coaches are trained and/or certified appropriately for the program(s) in which they coach and aligned to the Canada Soccer Safe Sport Roster.

Coaching in Canada requires more than on-field ‘soccer’ training. The physical and mental safety of the players is the top priority, and as coaches we have the responsibly to provide environments where players flourish.

Part of the Canada Soccer Minimum Coaching Standards is the requirement to complete the Safe Sport Roster.

Coaches who are in an environment whereby their teams play in a league structure, or play games against other Clubs are required to complete the Full Safe Sport Roster

1. Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screen
2. Stage-appropriate Canada Soccer Grassroots Coach Education – Theory Module (Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life) 
3. Stage-appropriate Canada Soccer Grassroots Coach Education – Practical Module (Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life)
4. NCCP Make Ethical Decisions Module and/or Online Evaluation 
5. Respect in Sport Activity Leader Program 
6. NCCP Making Headway Module 
7. NCCP Emergency Action Planning Module 
8. NCCP Understanding the Rule of Two Module

Coaches who are in environments where there is no league competition and the players only play games ‘in-house’ against players from the same Club must complete a ‘modified Safe Sport Roster’.

1. Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screen
2. Coaching Soccer in Canada e-module
3. Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training

1. Stage-appropriate Canada Soccer Grassroots Coach Education – Theory Module (Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life)
2. Stage-appropriate Canada Soccer Grassroots Coach Education – Practical Module (Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life)
3. Other requirements of Full Safe Sport Roster

The table below shows exactly what is required to coach in the different leagues in Nova Scotia.