The UEFA coaching structure is often referenced and rarely explained. Here is the shape of it.
The four principal diplomas
UEFA publishes minimum criteria for each level. The headline figures are the total minimum hours of education:
- UEFA C — a minimum of 60 hours. The grassroots level.
- UEFA B — a minimum of 120 hours. Youth through senior amateur football.
- UEFA A — a minimum of 180 hours. Top amateur level and professional coaching staff.
- UEFA Pro — 360 hours. The top of the ladder.
Each level requires the one below it. As with the CAF structure, this is sequential by design.
What the Convention is
Since 1998, the UEFA Coaching Convention has set a common benchmark for how member associations educate coaches, providing a framework for raising the status of the profession across Europe and facilitating the movement of qualified coaches within it.
That last point matters for anyone outside Europe: the Convention's purpose is mutual recognition among its member associations. It is not a global passport.
Who issues the diploma
This is the detail that separates a legitimate offer from a questionable one. UEFA does not issue diplomas to individuals. A UEFA member association runs the course and issues the qualification under the Convention.
So when you see a course advertised, the question to ask is: which member association is issuing this, and can they show you that in writing? A provider may legitimately deliver preparation, recruitment, logistics and mentoring around a federation's course. It cannot issue the diploma itself.
Beyond the four
UEFA also sets minimum criteria for specialist diplomas — youth, goalkeeping and futsal streams among them. These sit alongside the main ladder rather than replacing it, and typically require a specified general licence as a prerequisite.
Revalidation
UEFA licences are not issued once and held forever; the Convention provides for periodic revalidation through further education. We have seen the specific hour and period requirements quoted in several secondary sources but have not been able to verify them against UEFA's own published documentation, so we are not repeating figures here. Confirm the current requirement with the association that issued your licence — they are the only authority on it, and it is the sort of detail that changes between editions of the Convention.
Where this leaves a South African coach
A UEFA qualification is a well-built body of coach education with real international currency. It is not the licence named in South Africa's professional-game standards. Both statements are true at once, and choosing well means being clear about which one you are buying. See UEFA licence vs CAF licence.
Where Tribal Nation Sports fits
Tribal Nation Sports is a football education platform based in Cape Town. We do not issue SAFA, CAF or UEFA qualifications — those are issued by federations, and any claim otherwise should be treated with suspicion. What we run is the preparation and the continuing education around them: a free Foundation Certificate, masterclasses taught by working professionals, and specialist courses for the analysis and academy roles the badge pathway does not cover.
Start with the free Foundation Certificate — three modules, about ninety minutes, no cost.
Sources
Checked 16 August 2026. Coaching-course dates, prices and entry rules change — confirm with the issuing federation before you rely on them.
Key takeaways
- →UEFA C is a minimum of 60 hours; B is 120; A is 180; Pro is 360.
- →Each diploma requires the one below it, and the courses assume active coaching in between.
- →The UEFA Coaching Convention has set a common benchmark across member associations since 1998.
- →Diplomas are issued by member associations, not by UEFA directly, and not by third parties.
Frequently asked.
Can I do a UEFA licence entirely online?
No. The diplomas include assessed practical coaching, which requires in-person delivery. Blended courses with substantial online components exist, but a fully self-paced online UEFA licence does not.
Who actually issues a UEFA diploma?
A UEFA member association. UEFA sets the convention and the minimum standards; the national association runs the course and issues the diploma. Any provider implying it issues UEFA licences itself is describing something other than what it is.