The FA · free preview
FA Introduction to Talent Identification
What talent identification is, and how to watch a player.
Free · about 1 hour 20 · online · formerly Talent ID Level 1
Free lesson · What talent identification is
The course and the scouting pathway
FA Introduction to Talent Identification (formerly Talent ID Level 1) is the front door to The FA’s official scouting pathway. It is free, 100% online and self-paced: six short modules of about 10–30 minutes each, roughly 1 hour 20 minutes in all. There are no prerequisites and it is open worldwide; you enrol with your FA Number (FAN). You complete it by working through the modules and their checks.
It covers the role of talent identification and the scout, the scout’s key responsibilities, and how to build a rounded view of a player’s potential at any age. Its message to learners: play your part in forming the national teams of the future. Practitioners call it the one course worth doing first.
| Level | Course | For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Talent Identification — free, online | Anyone |
| 2 | National Talent Identification & Scouting — 2 days face to face, £220 | Scouts in or aiming for the professional game |
| 3 | Advanced Principles — 12 taught days over about 10 months | Full-time professional-club scouts |
| 4 | Leadership of talent identification | Heads of recruitment |
| 5 | Technical Directors course | Technical directors |
Source: Management & administration reference · 10. FA Talent ID Level 1
The syllabus: 2 modules, 8 lessons
- 1
What talent identification is
- The course and the scouting pathway free preview
- What talent identification is
- Performance versus potential
- Types of scouting and the scout’s code
- 2
How to watch a player
- What a scout actually does
- The four corners
- Where to look: off the ball and in every moment
- The biases every scout must name