National Practitioner Programme: Evidence-Based Football Policing: Contemporary Practice, Innovation and Future Challenges

Across three days, delegates will explore the theoretical foundations of contemporary football policing, examine operational learning emerging from the National Observer Programme, consider developments in law and national policy, analyse significant operational case studies and discuss the future challenges facing football policing, including changing supporter cultures, safeguarding, youth risk groups and preparations for UEFA Euro 2028.

Bringing together researchers, Football Leads, commanders, OFOs, DFOs and other public order practitioners, the programme aims not simply to deliver continuing professional development but to strengthen a national community of practice committed to evidence-informed policing.

The timing of the programme has been chosen deliberately. Scheduled during the October international break, it has been designed to minimise operational abstraction and maximise opportunities for practitioners actively engaged in football policing to participate.

Who Should Attend 

The programme is designed for: 

• Football Leads 

• Gold, Silver and Bronze Commanders 

• POPSAs 

• Dedicated Football Officers (DFOs) 

• Operational Football Officers (OFOs) 

• Other Public Order Practitioners and Public Safety Specialists 

A defining feature of the programme is the deliberate integration of practitioners operating at different levels of command, coordination and delivery. Football policing is inherently collaborative, requiring effective interaction between Football Leads, POPS commanders, DFOs, OFOs and other public safety specialists. Yet opportunities for these groups to learn together, reflect collectively on emerging evidence and explore the implications of innovation are relatively limited. The 3 programme therefore provides a unique environment in which participants can examine contemporary challenges from multiple professional perspectives, develop a shared understanding of emerging evidence and consider how different roles contribute to effective operational outcomes. By bringing together practitioners from across the football policing landscape, the programme seeks not only to support individual professional development but also to strengthen the collective capability of the football policing community both locally and nationally.

Find more information in the briefing paper or read the blog post on Building the next generation of football policing: Research, professional development and national learning