Coaching Qualification Matrix (current and historic) including Guidance Notes & Accepted Overseas Qualifications

This document details which qualifications (both current and historic) determine whether an individual holds ‘Coach’ status.

(NB/ this document does not determine whether an individual is deployable or employable as this decision needs to be made by the deployer/employer)

Current Qualifications:

2023 / present:

• ECB Foundation Coach (1^st4sport) (ECBFC)
• ECB Core Coach (1^st4sport) (ECBCOREC) replaced Level 2 Coaching Children / Young People and Adults
• ECB Advanced Coach (ECBADV) previously known as Level 3
• ECB Specialist Coach (ECBSC)

Historic Qualifications:

2013 – 2022;

• ECB Foundation I Coach (1^st4sport Level 1) (ECBF1C); also known as Foundation 1 
• UKCC2; 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Children's Cricket (QCF) (L2CCCCRQ); also known as ECB Certificate in Coaching Children’s Cricket
• UKCC2; 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Young People & Adults' Cricket (QCF) (L2CCYPACRQ); also known as ECB Certificate in Coaching Young People & Adults’ Cricket
• UKCC3; 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Cricket (L3CCCR); also known as ECB Performance Coach / ECB Advanced Coach / UKCC3 Head Coach

2005 – 2013;

• UKCC2 - 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Cricket (L2CCCR); also known as ECB Coach Award / ECB Coach Course
• ECB Club Coach Award; also known as a Level 2.5

1997 – 2005;

• ECB Level I (LCC1)
• ECB Level II (LCC2)
• ECB Level III (LCC3)
• ECB Coach Course (UKCC2)
• ECB Head Coach Course (UKCC3)

Prior to 1997;

• NCA Coaching Award
• NCA Senior Award
• NCA Advanced Award

To be considered an active coach, not only must you have a valid ECB verified DBS (or a DBS required by your employer) but it is also best practice that you have valid First Aid and Safeguarding training.

First Aid, Safeguarding and DBS all have a 3-year validity upon successful completion (unless you are signed up for the DBS update service in which case your DBS is automatically checked every 12 months).

You should also be insured*, which can either be sought independently or is provided to you as a full member of the ‘ECB Coaches Association’ (not as an ‘associate member’).

*Insurance is provided by Kerry London Insurance and is provided to cover a coach to the level they are qualified to. If a coach acts outside of their qualification boundaries, this may result is no insured cover.

If you are a coach, you can:

• Coach independently / unsupervised
• Coach an individual
• Coach / manage a group (Ratio: 1 coach to 24 players for soft ball or 1 coach to 16 players for hard ball)
• Coach in / manage the nets (Ratio: 1 coach to 8 players)
• Use soft or hard balls

A good ‘Coach’ considers a players needs first and will try to create the best possible coaching environments for their players. Before designing and delivering sessions, always consider the player(s)’ age and stage of development in order to determine what will best meet their needs to develop and enjoy the game;

• ECB Coaches Code of Conduct (download available below)
• Coach Safety Pack 2019 (download available below)

It should be noted that a coach will cover various subjects in their course and depending on when they gained their qualification, they will have covered these subjects to varying degrees. Covering a particular subject in a course doesn’t mean the learner would have been assessed on that subject. If the learner was assessed for said subject, there is no way to confirm whether they were assessed once or multiple times.

Based on this, the following should be considered by any deployer/employer, when looking to deploy/employ a qualified cricket ‘Coach’: 

• When did they gain their qualification?
• Do they hold a current/valid DBS?
• Do they have a current First Aid training?
• Are they up to date with their ECB Safeguarding Young Cricketers accreditation?
• Since having qualified, have they invested in their coaching;
  • Are they up to date with current practices through regular coaching?
  • Have they attended any CPD (Continual Professional Development) Workshops?
  • Are they a current member of the Coaches Association?
  • Do they regularly use the icoachcricket resource hub?
  • Have they attended any ECB Coaching Conferences?

The answers to these questions will help you make an informed choice as to whether or not to deploy/employ a potential ‘Coach’.

Please note that you are not considered a qualified cricket ‘Coach’ if you have passed one of the following courses:

Current;

• ECB Support Coach (ECBSUPC)

Historic;

• ECB Coach Support Worker (CSW)
• ECB Cricket Activator (CA)
• Cricket for Teachers: Primary (CfTP)
• Cricket for Teachers: Secondary (CfTS)
• UKCC; 1st4sport Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Cricket (L1CCCR); also known as ECB Coaching Assistant (UKCC1)
• Teachers Award

Additional Information;

Certain courses will only have been offered to an existing qualified coach and would have been considered an add-on / upskill to their existing qualification or to make the Coach deployable:

• 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Cricket Conversion (L2CCCRC)
• ECB Creating the Learning Climate for Children (CPDC1)
• ECB Game Based Learning for Children (CPDC2)
• ECB Skill Development for Children (CPDC3)
• ECB Coaching Teams (CPDYPA1)
• ECB Performance and Video Analysis (CPDYPA2)
• ECB Training Intervention and Methods (CPDYPA3)
• ECB Diploma in Coaching Children's Cricket (DIPCCC)
• ECB Diploma in Coaching Young People & Adults Cricket (DIPCYPAC)
• Coaching in Primary Schools (CiPS)
• Coaching in Secondary Schools (CiSS)
• Working in Schools (WiS)

Current List of International Coaching Qualifications Regarded as Equivalent to UKCC Level 2*:

• New Zealand Level 1 Development Coaching – Level 2 – High Performance
• Cricket Australia Level 1, Community Coach - Level 2 Representative Coach - Level 3 High Performance
• South African L2 (Bakers Academy) - South African Level 1 (please note that the SA Level 1 Bakers Academy is not suitable).

 *(2005 - 2018)