The Football Association

The Football Association (the FA) is the <a href="/facts/Sports_governing_body/syXmCXu6">governing body</a> of <a href="/facts/Association_football/yttjeD0D">association football</a> in <a href="/facts/England/U9mE5bGL">England</a> and the <a href="/facts/Crown_Dependencies/2jUeeK21">Crown Dependencies</a> of <a href="/facts/Jersey/3lBLWgpg">Jersey</a>, <a href="/facts/Bailiwick_of_Guernsey/PwKg43uI">Guernsey</a> and the <a href="/facts/Isle_of_Man/HG7bYyA8">Isle of Man</a>. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory.
The FA facilitates all competitive football matches within its remit at national level, and indirectly at local level through the <a href="/facts/County_football_association/2coqVS4L">county football associations</a>. It runs numerous competitions, the most famous of which is the <a href="/facts/FA_Cup/nq1hRAUw">FA Cup</a>. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the <a href="/facts/England_national_football_team/N71IuE3t">men's</a>, <a href="/facts/England_women%2527s_national_football_team/AbryKXUD">women's</a>, and <a href="/facts/England_national_under-17_football_team/k7CJvYqL">youth</a> national football teams.
The FA is a member of both <a href="/facts/UEFA/UafFnEBe">UEFA</a> and <a href="/facts/FIFA/wC2aqLnn">FIFA</a> and holds a permanent seat on the <a href="/facts/International_Football_Association_Board/wneLwbDe">International Football Association Board</a> (IFAB) which is responsible for the <a href="/facts/Laws_of_the_Game_(association_football)/259Fc4t8">Laws of the Game</a>. As the first football association, it does not use the national name "English" in its title. The FA is based at <a href="/facts/Wembley_Stadium/mQC5Bonq">Wembley Stadium</a>, <a href="/facts/London/KozCCsy9">London</a>. The FA is a member of the <a href="/facts/British_Olympic_Association/Cgl2R05x">British Olympic Association</a>, meaning that the FA has control over the <a href="/facts/Great_Britain_men%2527s_Olympic_football_team/fw2XlLW7">men's</a> and <a href="/facts/Great_Britain_women%2527s_Olympic_football_team/PEFu6pUr">women's</a> Great Britain Olympic football team.
All of England's professional football teams are members of the Football Association. Although it does not run the day-to-day operations of the <a href="/facts/Premier_League/nfXVuAYa">Premier League</a>, it has veto power over the appointment of the league chairman and chief executive and over any changes to league rules. The <a href="/facts/English_Football_League/aN1vmvoF">English Football League</a>, made up of the three fully professional divisions below the Premier League, is self-governing, subject to the FA's sanctions.

The Football Association open-in-new

The Football Association