Sign Off Authority

The SOA (Sign Off Authority) facility was introduced in 2014 to:

• Protect members who are children or persons at risk.
• Register non coaches involved in the training and sign-off of members.
• Enable new clubs to start up and expand their membership prior to having a coach.

The SOA was never meant to replace or be a substitute for the NFAS coach. It was never a recognised qualification like the OCN Diploma in Archery Coaching awarded to NFAS coaches passing the coach training course.
The NFAS believes that every club should have at least one NFAS trained coach, with a current DBS disclosure. Given the above, and recent changes to insurance/child and persons at risk protection, the NFAS has to make the following changes.

From the 1st of January 2023:

• All SOA registrations and renewals will be limited to one year. Registrations and renewals granted before 1st January 2023 will run until their expiry date (three years from issue).
• All SOA applications and renewals after 1st January 2023 must be accompanied by a coach training application form as well as the DBS renewal fee of £25.00, where applicable.
• The coach training application may be completed by the renewing SOA, or by another member of the club, who meets the criteria for coach training. The SOA will be valid until the coach training candidate successfully completes the coach training course or the one-year expiry date.

The NFAS Committee recognised the need for the training of all new archers to shoot safely at club level and at open shoots.

In the last 30 years, NFAS archery has blossomed and with it the necessity to regulate has grown, establishing a common standard and set of defined rules in an ever-growing range of bow classes and styles of shooting.

The need to ensure that this common standard is society wide was recognised and the new coach training curriculum was established, which covers setting up and running a beginners course through to the safety of each club’s shooting environment.

Insurance cover understandably requires accountability and standards. Archery insurance requires that the person responsible for signing off new members as safe has a recognised qualification.

The approach to coach training will deliver that requirement to all clubs ensuring NFAS wide standards and accountability. The role of SOA does not have an officially recognised qualification.

The coach training fee is currently £90.00, which is heavily subsidised by the NFAS to encourage members to become coaches. This cost includes the first DBS payment. Future DBS renews may be obtained by enrolling in the DBS Update Service within 28 days. This is an online service and is free to volunteers, See: https://gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

Should the coach training candidate not complete a course in the year, the reasons will be reviewed and, if valid, the SOA status may be extended for a further six months.  If the coach training applicant fails to attend courses offered without good reason on three occasions, then SOA will be permanently withdrawn.

New SOA applications will only be accepted from new clubs and by special dispensation by the NFAS Committee.
For details of the coach training course, please visit the NFAS website or contact the NFAS coach training Coordinator at coachtrainer@nfas.net.