“Long ball” and “balls deep”: a critical reading of female coach-learners’ experiences of the UEFA A licence

In this article we present a critical reading of female coach-learners’ experiences the Union European Football Association’s Advanced Licence (UEFA A), which at time writing have been largely ignored. It comes point when The policy, 2017–2020 Gameplan for Growth Strategy, focuses on women’s game, has completed. We wanted to understand better challenges faced by coaches as they navigate their way through male-dominated educational programmes. interviewed nine UEFA A holders who had participated in differing cohorts across ten-year span. Interpreting and broadly poststructuralist lens reveals how language, structure assumptions inherent course impact coach-learner experiences. data exposes catalogue androcentric assumptions, toxic masculinity, sexualised dismissive practices an ignorance game.