British Powerlifting Coaching License Guidance 2025
Contents:
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Professional Coach
2.2 Non-professional Coach
2.3 Handler
3.0 License Deployment
3.1 Stage 1: British Junior and Sub-junior Championships 2025
3.2 Stage 2: British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships 2025
3.3 Stage 3: 1st June 2025 and Onwards
4.0 License Requirements
4.1 Anti-doping Training
4.2 Safeguarding Training
4.3 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Training
4.4 Additional Requirements
5.0 License Application (How to Apply)
6.0 Dispensation
7.0 Responsibilities and Enforcement
8.0 License Renewal and Removal
9.0 License Review
10.0 Further Information
1.0 Introduction (Purpose of the Coach Licensing Scheme)
1.1 British Powerlifting encourages all powerlifting coaches to apply for a Coaching License. The Coaching License provides evidence that the Coach has met a minimum standard of required training and education, including but not limited to Anti-doping, Safeguarding, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. It also gives assurance to athletes that the Coach is in good standing with the federation and is adequately regulated.
1.2 The Coaching License scheme is part of a long-planned initiative designed to enhance governance, raise awareness, and protect our community, athletes, coaches, and supporters.
1.3 The Coaching Licence addresses the need for coaches to be certified for governance and safeguarding purposes in line with changes in UK regulations on certain topics, such as the ‘Position of Trust’ Act in 2022., It is important that British Powerlifting does everything in its power to comply with these regulations.
1.4 The implementation of the Coaching Licence ensures we are meeting requirements to push for government funding given that we have achieved NGB status, specifically UK Sport’s Tier One Principle of Policies and Procedures.
1.5 By establishing a consistent standard of coaching at our National Series events, we demonstrate our commitment to a professional, responsible, and inclusive sporting environment by providing coaches with the opportunity to further their professional development, which is not only to the benefit of the federation, but also to the benefit of the coach.
1.6 By applying for, and being granted a Coaching License, the applicant agrees to abide by the British Powerlifting Code of Conduct and its bylaws, and agrees to conduct themselves in a professional manner both during and outside of National Series events. British Powerlifting reserves the right to remove or revoke any person’s Coaching License at any time if poor conduct is apparent.
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Professional Coach
A Professional Coach is defined as a person who is working to provide a coaching service within the Powerlifting industry and receiving compensation for such work. Compensation may be financial, publicity, skills swap, or other form of compensation that means the person providing the service gains something in return.
2.2 Non-professional Coach
A Non-professional Coach is defined as a person who does not receive any form of compensation for providing a coaching service. The Non-professional Coach category will be slowly phased out for National Series events in favour of the Coaches License. Before 1st June 2025, Non-professional Coaches must be nominated as per section 3.1 and 3.2 of this document.
2.3 Handler
A Handler is defined as any person who provides an in-person coaching service during competition day, and who will expect to be granted access to (if appropriately licensed) the warm-up area, the holding area, and perform tasks such as handling attempt slips, and approaching the jury.
2.4 Head Coach (applies only to BUCS/BUCS)
A Head Coach is a person who holds a valid Coaching License and who is nominated as the lead coach for a specific university for the purposes of The BUCS Championships. The Head Coach is responsible for nominating, and for the conduct of Assistant Coaches, and in the case of any misconduct, the responsibility lies with the Head Coach. This applies from the 2025 BUCS Championships and will continue each year whilst being reviewed annually to ensure the safety of the coaching at the BUCS competitions.
2.5 Assistant Coach (applies only to BUCS)
An Assistant Coach is a person who may not hold a valid Coaching License, but who is nominated by the Head Coach at their university, and who is subsequently approved by British Powerlifting and allowed to assist with coaching/handling duties at the BUCS Championships. This applies from the 2025 BUCS Championships and will continue each year whilst being reviewed annually to ensure the safety of the coaching at the BUCS competitions.
2.6 Coaches Register
A list of all coaches who have met the requirements to obtain, and who have obtained the Coaching License, and have been approved by British Powerlifting to coach/handle at National Series events.
2.7 National Series Event
National Series events include all British Championships (both Classic and Equipped, as well as age group and University championships), as well as Northern and Southern Qualifier events.
3.0 License Deployment
The Coaching License will be deployed in a staggered manner across various National Series events in 2025:
3.1 First Stage: British Junior and Sub-junior Championships 2025
For these championships, all athletes must nominate their handler prior to the event, and only handlers that have been nominated and approved will be permitted to attend. In order to be approved as a handler, the following conditions must be met:
· Handlers must hold a current and valid British Powerlifting membership, and;
· Handlers must not be under investigation by, or have a decision against them from the Disciplinary Committee
3.2 Second Stage: British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships 2025
For these championships, coaches who hold a valid Coaches License will be permitted to attend and handle at their own discretion. Athletes will not be required to nominate their handler for these championships.
All universities with at least one athlete competing at BUCS must nominate a Head Coach, and this Head Coach must hold a valid Coaches License. Head Coaches may then nominate non-licensed Assistant Coaches who may handle only athletes at the university which has nominated them, and these non-licensed Assistant Coaches must be approved by British Powerlifting. In order to be approved as an Assistant Coach, the following conditions must be met:
· Assistant Coaches must hold a current and valid British Powerlifting membership, and;
· Assistant Coaches must not be under investigation by, or have a decision against them from the Disciplinary Committee
Head Coaches take sole responsibility for their Assistant Coaches. This means that if any situation of poor conduct, complaint, or any other situation which may require disciplinary action arises in the name of the Assistant Coach, the responsibility lies with the Head Coach that nominated them.
3.3 Third Stage: 1st June 2025 and Onwards
From 1st June 2025 and onwards, all coaches who wish to coach/handle at any British Powerlifting National Series event must hold a valid Coaching License, the only exception to this will be the BUCS championships which, as stated in 2.5, will be reviewed annually for the efficacy and safety of the process.
4.0 License Requirements
The following certifications are required in order to obtain the British Powerlifting Coaching License:
4.1 Anti-doping Training
A certificate in Anti-doping awareness is required. Until 1st June 2025, we recommend UK Anti Doping (UKAD) Clean Sport Hub eLearning platform, however cost- and time-effective alternative options will be acceptable.
From 1st June 2025, certification will be required to be from UK Anti Doping (UKAD) Clean Sport Hub eLearning platform. Evidence of completion of the Coach Clean course will be required.
4.2 Safeguarding Training
A certificate in Safeguarding (preferably Safeguarding in Sport) is required. Until 1st June 2025, we will promote and allow certificates from cost- and time-effective options.
From 1st June 2025, only certification from the following courses will be accepted:
· UK Coaching: Safeguarding Children in Sport
· NSPCC: Safeguarding Children in Sport
· Any Local Partnerships (supported by Sport England): Safeguarding Children in Sport
· British Powerlifting Safeguarding Course (currently in development)
4.3 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Training
A certificate in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) will be required. Until 1st June 2025, we will promote and allow certificates from cost- and time-effective options.
From 1st June 2025, certification will be required to be from British Powerlifting’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion online training course, which is currently in development. Should the British Powerlifting EDI training not be available on June 1st, we shall continue to accept the previous certificates until such time the replacement certificate is available.
4.4 Additional Requirements
Additional requirements to obtain the British Powerlifting Coaching License include:
· Coaches must hold a current a valid British Powerlifting membership, and;
· Coaches must not be under investigation by, or have a decision against them from the Disciplinary Committee.
5.0 License Application (How to Apply)
To apply for the Coaching License, visit the ‘Find a Club or Coach’ page under the ‘About Us’ page of the British Powerlifting website. At the top of the page you will find the link for the Coaching License application.
Current/up-to-date Certification Guidance is provided within the application form and can be found here in section 4.0. All certificates must be dated within 12 months (Anti-doping and Safeguarding) or 3 years (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and British Powerlifting Competition Day Coaching course from 1st January 2026) of applying for the Coaching License.
Once you have completed the application form, you will see the following message:
“Thank you for applying for the British Powerlifting Coaching License. Your application has now been sent to British Powerlifting for review. If you are compliant with the specifications needed to obtain the Coaching License, you will be automatically registered. You will not receive any correspondence. If your application does not meet the necessary specifications, you will be contacted about this and asked to reapply. If you have any queries, please contact the Coaching Lead at charliemarrilier@britishpowerlifting.org.
Successful applications can be found under the Registered Coaches List on British Powerlifting Website. We encourage applicants to check the status of their registration within 2-4 weeks of application.
6.0 Dispensation
A direct and immediate familial relative (i.e., a parent, legal guardian, sibling, or spouse) of an athlete may be nominated as a handler without the need for a Coaching License, if the following conditions are met:
· The relative must hold a current and valid British Powerlifting membership;
· The relative must not be under investigation by, or have a decision against them from the Disciplinary Committee;
· The relative must only handle the single athlete who nominated them, and;
· The relative must present proof of British Powerlifting membership and valid photo ID (i.e., passport, driving license) at weigh-in.
If the relative plans to handle more than the one athlete who has nominated them, they will be required to hold a Coaching License.
7.0 Responsibilities and Enforcement
All licensed coaches are responsible for adhering to the British Powerlifting Code of Conduct at all times to ensure the safety and wellbeing not just of their own athletes, but of all other athletes present at the championships.
Any individual who is found to be coaching or handling at a British Powerlifting National Series event, who does not hold a valid Coaching License (from 1st June 2025), or who meet the requirements as stated in section 3.1 and 3.2, will be subject to disciplinary action.
If a coach attends a National Series event and cannot produce proof of certification where required, they will not be permitted to coach, and their athlete may be required to self-handle.
If a coach is found in retrospect to have attended and coached/handled at a National Series without at the time holding a valid Coaching License, their lifter will be disqualified from the championships, their placing a total will become ineligible to be used for the purposes of a qualifying total or for international selection, and the matter and the coach in question will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
8.0 License Renewal and Removal
8.1 Renewal
The Coaching License must be re-applied for each calendar year. On 1st January of each calendar year, the Coaches Register will be emptied of all records, and coaches must re-apply. Each application, similarly to British Powerlifting memberships, is valid until 31st December of the calendar year in which it is applied for.
A re-application also requires that the following documentation is up to date:
Any applicable fees must be paid upon each individual application or re-application for the Coaching License.
8.2 Rejection of Application
British Powerlifting reserves the right to revoke, remove or reject any Coaching License or Coaching License application at any time for one or more of the following reasons:
9.0 License Review
From 1st January 2026 onwards, proof of completion of a British Powerlifting Competition Coaching Course (or a British Powerlifting or International Powerlifting Federation Level 1 or Level 2 Coaching Course certificate will supersede this) will become an additional requirement to obtain the Coaching License.
The British Powerlifting Competition Coaching Course is currently in development (expected to open early summer 2025) and aims to mitigate the financial and time commitment where possible. This course will focus solely on the operation and procedures of British Powerlifting National Series competitions, as well as other topical issues related with what is required to coach/handle at National level.
The cost of operating the Coaching License model will be continuously reviewed. The Coaching Committee have worked diligently to ensure this guidance covers all aspects of the rollout of the Coaching License and will continue to work diligently to ensure its rollout and implementation is kept to the standard expected of a National Governing Body sporting federation. If in the future it is deemed that a cost is required to justify the workload of managing the Coaching License, then a small fee will be implemented.
10.0 Further Information
For further information, please refer to the British Powerlifting website or contact the British Powerlifting Coaching Committee by emailing coaching@britishpowerlifting.org
British Powerlifting is a trading name of GB Powerlifting Federation Ltd
Limited by guarantee and Registered in England and Wales , No. 06625045
AFFILIATED TO: The International Powerlifting Federation & the European Powerlifting Federation
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