Football Changing Rooms: FA Requirements, Layouts and Funding
Guide
Under FA ground grading rules, a new or refurbished football changing room must be at least 18 square metres per team excluding showers and toilets, existing rooms must be at least 12 square metres, and match officials need their own room of at least 4 square metres, rising to 6 square metres with mixed gender provision in a new build. This guide sets out those requirements, what a compliant two team building looks like in practice, and how the Football Foundation’s Pavilion and Clubhouse grants can help fund it. The underlying dimension standards are collected in our changing room dimensions guide.
What Size Does a Football Changing Room Need to Be?
The FA sets minimum room sizes through ground grading, and the bar is higher whenever you build new or refurbish.
| Requirement | Minimum Size |
|---|---|
| Existing changing rooms | 12 square metres per team, excluding shower and toilet areas |
| New or refurbished changing rooms | 18 square metres per team, excluding shower and toilet areas |
| Match officials, existing rooms | 4 square metres minimum |
| Match officials, new build | 6 square metres, with provision for mixed gender officials |
Excluding wet areas means exactly that: the 18 square metres is clear changing space, so the overall building footprint is always larger once showers, toilets, lobbies and plant are added.
What Does a Compliant Two Team Football Building Look Like?
A compliant new build for two teams plus officials needs, as a minimum:
| Element | Provision |
|---|---|
| Team changing rooms | Two rooms of at least 18 square metres of clear changing space each |
| Benching | 500mm of bench width per person, benches 450mm deep and 450mm high |
| Showers and toilets | Shower and WC provision to each team room, in addition to the 18 square metres |
| Officials’ room | 6 square metres with mixed gender provision, with its own shower and WC |
| Accessible provision | Accessible changing and shower room of 2200mm x 2000mm to Approved Document M |
Put together, that is why most of our two team layouts sit around 30ft x 24ft and upward. Our floor plans page lists room by room dimensions for each layout, and our guide to accessible changing room sizes covers the Approved Document M figures in full. For rugby the numbers work differently, with space set per player rather than per team; see our rugby changing rooms guide.
Can You Get Football Foundation Funding for Changing Rooms?
Yes. The Football Foundation, the charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government, runs a Pavilion and Clubhouse grant that covers the refurbishment, modernisation and creation of new or replacement changing rooms, toilets and clubhouses. It funds minor and major building works that enhance facilities, address health and safety issues, reduce operating costs, increase income streams or maintain and increase participation in football.
Key points from the Foundation’s published guidance at the time of writing:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grant bands | Grants up to £25,000, and over £25,000 up to £100,000 |
| Security of tenure | 5 years for grants up to £25,000; 10 years for grants over £25,000 |
| Grants over £25,000 | Require evidence of collaboration with local people on inclusive facility design |
| Applications | One application per season per organisation, one site per application, submitted through a Football Foundation account with a decision normally within four weeks |
| Evidence needed | An independent condition survey or inspection report, or photographs showing the condition of the current facility, plus detailed specifications and drawings |
| Before you apply | Consult your County FA or Foundation Delivery Manager, and secure planning permission, Building Regulations approval and written landlord consent where needed |
Routine maintenance such as repainting or unblocking drains is not eligible as a standalone project, though it can form part of a larger refurbishment. The Foundation does not publish a fixed percentage of project cost it will fund, so always confirm the current terms on footballfoundation.org.uk before budgeting.
How Do You Budget a Football Changing Room Building?
Our changing room cost guide explains what drives the price of a modular changing building, and the individual plan pages carry the current guide prices for each layout. A grant application is much stronger with drawings and a firm specification attached, which is exactly what our floor plans and quotes provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Size Should a Football Changing Room Be?
Under FA ground grading, existing changing rooms must be at least 12 square metres excluding showers and toilets, and any new or refurbished changing room must be at least 18 square metres. Match officials need their own room of at least 4 square metres, or 6 square metres in a new build.
Do Match Officials Need Their Own Changing Room?
Yes. FA ground grading requires a match officials’ room of at least 4 square metres for existing facilities, and 6 square metres with provision for mixed gender officials when building new or refurbishing.
Will the Football Foundation Pay for New Changing Rooms?
The Football Foundation’s Pavilion and Clubhouse grants fund the refurbishment, modernisation and creation of new or replacement changing rooms, toilets and clubhouses, in bands up to £25,000 and over £25,000 up to £100,000. Applicants need security of tenure of 5 or 10 years depending on the grant size, and should confirm current terms with the Foundation before applying.
How Long Does a Football Foundation Grant Decision Take?
The Foundation states that applications are assessed by its Grant Management Team with a decision email normally within four weeks of submission.
Does a Football Changing Room Need Accessible Provision?
Yes. A new building should include an accessible changing and shower room of at least 2200mm x 2000mm to Approved Document M, increasing to 2500mm x 2400mm where a WC is included.
Get the Club Fundraising Pack
The grant detail above is only one of six funding routes clubs use. Our free Club Fundraising Pack covers all six, with the application checklist, a realistic timeline and budget guidance from our current floor plan range. There is also a summary on our funding options page.
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