FIFA Enhances Maternity and Parental Leave Policies for Players and Coaches

FIFA Implements New Maternity and Parental Leave Policies for Players and Coaches

In a significant move to support the well-being of players and coaches, FIFA has introduced new protocols that provide a minimum of 14 weeks of paid maternity leave for players and eight weeks for coaches who adopt a child under two years old. Additionally, non-biological parents of newborns are entitled to a minimum of eight weeks of paid leave.

These measures extend the maternity leave previously granted to players in 2020, now including coaches, non-biological mothers, and adoptive parents. The protocols take effect on June 1 and were approved by the FIFA Council last month.

"I think it's a big statement," said former U.S. coach Jill Ellis. "These are big steps and big strides to really normalize the life that we go through as women ... that's what we want to provide now at every level, the club level, the national team level — the opportunity for pro players to have the chance to be mums."

Ellis led FIFA's technical study group for the Women's World Cup last year in Australia and New Zealand.

The regulations also grant clubs greater flexibility to add players outside of the transfer window when players take maternity or parental leave or return from it. They also allow players to take paid time off from matches or training due to menstrual health.

FIFA is encouraging member associations to create family-friendly environments for players with children. "In a FIFA Women's World Cup, (a player) can potentially be away from her family for five or six weeks ... and that can have a big toll on the player, mentally, but also on the child," said Sarai Bareman, FIFA's chief women's soccer officer. "So, encouraging the member associations to make provision or to allow for those mothers and parents to have the children with them during the camp, during the tournament, is a really important step which will support not only female players but all players in our sport.”

Tags: #FIFA, #MaternityLeave, #ParentalLeave, #WomenInSports, #Soccer