Premier League academy players go through nine kinds of health monitoring, from age-appropriate medical screening and fitness testing to maturation measurement and monitoring of physical exertion. Cardiac screening covers the Under 15 age group and above, and psychological profiling is required only at Category 1 academies.
The testing programme and who it applies to
Here is the academy testing programme and who each part covers.
| Test | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| Age-appropriate medical screening, anthropometric assessments, physiological and fitness testing, age-appropriate physical profiling | Every academy player |
| Predictive testing of size and shape, or maturation measurement | Every academy player, except that a Category 4 academy need not do it |
| Psychological profiling | Category 1 academies only |
| Cardiac screening | Academy players in the Under 15 age group and above |
| The medical examinations a separate appendix sets out | Academy players registered on scholarship agreements |
| Monitoring of physical exertion | Every academy player |
The programme combines standard screening, body measurement, development tracking, targeted screening and ongoing monitoring in one framework. Two parts are limited by academy category: maturation measurement is not compulsory for a Category 4 academy, while psychological profiling applies only at Category 1 academies.
Cardiac screening has its own age threshold, beginning at Under 15. The medical examinations for scholarship players are part of the programme as well, but their detail sits in a separate appendix.
What the nine items include
The core programme for every academy player includes age-appropriate medical screening, anthropometric assessments, physiological and fitness testing, and age-appropriate physical profiling. These are the standard checks and measurements that apply across the academy system.
Maturation measurement sits alongside them as its own item. It is predictive testing of size and shape, and the rules treat it separately from the general anthropometric work.
Psychological profiling is also listed on its own and applies only at Category 1 academies. The medical examinations for players on scholarship agreements are part of the programme as well, but the detail for those examinations sits in a separate appendix, so this part is named without further detail here.
Monitoring of physical exertion is another distinct requirement. It covers ongoing tracking rather than a single screening event, while cardiac screening has its own starting age group written into the framework.
What happens to the results
Clubs have to submit whatever information is required to build a national database of athletic development. A club that complies then receives benchmarked data created from all clubs' information, provided on an anonymised basis.
So the information gathered from testing does not stay only inside the club. It also feeds into a national comparison system, with anonymised benchmark returns going back to compliant clubs.
Two linked duties outside the testing list
Every registered academy player on the full time training model must be registered with an NHS general practitioner for general medical services, using the address where he lives. That is a registration duty alongside the testing programme.
Injuries and rehabilitation also have to be tracked. Details of all injuries academy players suffer and of all rehabilitation must be recorded and provided to the league and The Football Association so a national injury and rehabilitation audit can be maintained; a complying club receives benchmarked data from that audit as well.
FAQ
Do academy players get heart screening?
Yes. Cardiac screening is required for academy players in the Under 15 age group and above.
It is listed as a separate requirement rather than being folded into general medical screening. The starting age group is fixed in the rules.
What is maturation measurement in academy football?
It is predictive testing of size and shape. The testing programme names that work as maturation measurement.
It is not compulsory at every academy level. A Category 4 academy does not have to carry it out.
Does a Premier League academy record injuries?
Yes. Details of all injuries suffered by academy players, and all rehabilitation, must be recorded.
Those details also have to be provided to the league and The Football Association for a national injury and rehabilitation audit. A club that complies receives benchmarked data back from that audit.
Are academy players registered with a GP?
Players on the full time training model must be. Each registered player in that group has to be registered with an NHS general practitioner for general medical services.
The registration uses the address where the player lives. That duty sits alongside the testing and monitoring requirements.