Roadmap
A running record of what's shipped on the SSFA site — new features, reworked flows, and fixes worth knowing about. Updated every time something changes.
Emergency player invites on the rep dashboard
Rep managers can now invite an emergency or one-match assessment player straight from their dashboard, with a step-by-step guide on the page.
Referees can report cards online
Match referees can now report cautions and sendings-off at ssfa.online/referee-report/. Reports go straight to the competition officer, who adds them to the match record.
Managers can correct player names
Rep team managers can now fix the spelling of a player's name from their squad page, alongside squad number, position and school.
Clearer penalty shoot-out option on results
The result form for cup matches now has a "Went to penalties" box, so you enter the full-time score and the shoot-out score separately. It also warns you if your report mentions penalties but the score isn't level.
Managers can invite players to trials directly
Rep team managers can now invite a talented player to trials even if their school didn't nominate them. The parent confirms by email, then the player joins the trial list as normal.
Arrival times for rep fixtures
Rep team managers can now set an arrival time for each fixture. Parents see it in squad call-up emails, on their dashboard and in the team calendar, alongside kick-off.
Allergy safety questions (Benedict's Law)
Every medical details form now asks about allergies in more detail, including severity, adrenaline auto-injectors and who carries them, with the option to upload an allergy action plan. Parents of all rep squad players have been asked to update their child's details.
Allergy details for every player
Every sign-up and medical form now asks clear questions about allergies, including how severe they are and whether a player carries an adrenaline auto-injector, so team staff know exactly what to do in an emergency.
Penalty shoot-outs on cup results
When a cup match finishes level, schools can now enter the penalty shoot-out score with the result. Once the other school confirms it, the winner goes straight through to the next round.
Cup fixture reminders
Competition officers can now send reminders about cup fixtures that have no date agreed or no result entered, so schools get a clear nudge well before each round deadline.
Committee oversight access
The Chairman and Vice Chairman can now see every part of the site. Any change they make is checked and approved by SSFA admin before it is applied.
Trial teams: set your own bib numbers
Managers can now enter the numbers on each team's bib set (for example 2–11) in Trial Intake, and the printed trial pack uses them.
Rep team sign-up: preferred squad number
When registering a player, parents can now give up to three preferred squad numbers. The team manager still decides, but can see the choices.
Rep teams: squad numbers
Managers can set the whole squad's shirt numbers in one place and email every family their child's number for the season.
Rep teams: see who still needs to register
Team pages now list players who've been offered a place but haven't registered yet, with their accept-by date and whether the offer email has been opened.
Fix for competition entries missing from invoices
Fixed a fault where, occasionally, entries paid for online were left off the school's invoice, so the school had no way to pay for them. Affected schools now have a new invoice for those entries on their dashboard.
Second parents and carers for rep players
Parents can now invite another parent or carer to share their child's rep team account, so both see fixtures, reply to call-ups, keep medical details up to date and get team emails. The website also now stops a child being registered (and paid for) twice by different parents.
Free deadline extensions, and entries close once a draw is made
Schools can now request a deadline extension free of charge from the fixture on their dashboard; it goes straight to the competition officer to approve. Competitions also close to new entries once their draw has been published, so late entries are agreed with the competition officer first.
Staff review and training
SSFA staff now have a short guided review on their dashboard that explains how each part of the website works and asks for their feedback, so the site can be improved around how SSFA actually runs.
Let families know a player is through to the final trial
Rep team managers can now tell parents straight away that their child was successful at the first trial and is through to the final trial, before the final trial date and venue are set. The full invitation follows once it is arranged.
Email alert when a card payment is declined
If a school card payment is declined, the school main and finance contacts now get an email straight away with the amount and a link to pay, instead of only seeing a message on screen.
Clear confirm-by date for parents
Nomination emails to parents now give the exact date and time to confirm by: 24 hours after the nomination window for that age group closes. This replaces the general 14-day wording.
Schools can now record agreed cup dates
For all cup and shield fixtures, either school can now propose the date they have agreed from their dashboard, and the other school confirms it. Agreed dates then show for everyone.
Trial Intake: next steps and further trials
Rep team managers now see a Next steps checklist at the top of Trial Intake showing exactly what to do next, from reviewing nominations to recording attendance and deciding outcomes. Players who have already trialled can now be invited back to a further trial session.
Clearer selection emails for rep teams
Parents of selected players now get a single email setting out everything they need: how to register, the £110 affiliation fee, kit prices with a link to the kit shop, and the date to accept by, chosen by the team manager.
Email receipt for every nomination
Teachers now get a confirmation email each time they nominate a player, so it is clear the nomination has gone through. The nomination form also explains that the school must be affiliated and paid first, and reminds teachers to tell parents to check their junk folder.
Easier trial intake on phones
Nominations waiting for review now show as tidy cards: name, position and school at a glance, tap to open details, notes and the Invite / No trial place buttons. No more scrolling sideways to find the actions.
Parent forms no longer time out on iPhones
Parents confirming a nomination or replying to a trial invite can now leave the form open as long as they like. Previously iPhones could lose the page session and ask them to press the button again.
Daily update email for rep team managers
Rep team managers now get one evening email listing what changed for their team that day: trial responses (including parents changing their answer), squad joins and withdrawals, and updated care details. Players who accept after bib teams are set are flagged so nobody is missed. No changes, no email.
PDF receipts for online payments
When a school pays online, the school contact, bursar and whoever paid now get a receipt email with a PDF attached, ready to claim the cost back. Receipts show the fee and processing fee as separate lines, and SSFA officers with invoice access can now open and download any invoice.
Fuller result submissions and match reports
Schools can now add clean sheets, a player of the match for both teams, full match write-ups and (with permission) photos when submitting results. Approved reports and match details now appear on Fixtures & Results, and may feature in our News and on social media.
Trial teams and trial packs
Rep managers can now split a trial session into coloured bib teams in one click, balanced by players’ preferred positions, with anyone out of position flagged. A printable trial pack gives a register, a sheet per team with notes and Trial 2 / Offer place tick boxes, and the confidential medical pages.
Referee contacts for rep managers
Rep team managers now have a Referees list on their team dashboard, with phone and email for local referees. Managers can add referees they use so everyone benefits. Visible to rep managers only.
Cup draws shown as a tree
On Fixtures & Results, choose Draw and pick a cup to see the full draw as a tree, from Round 1 to the final, with byes, results and who plays whom in the next round.
Parents can add a message to their trial response
When accepting or declining a trial invitation, parents can now leave a short message for the trial team, such as the reason their child can’t attend. It goes straight to the trial staff.
Affiliation payment picks up where you left off
If a school starts affiliating but doesn’t finish paying, going through affiliation again now takes you back to the same invoice to pay, instead of creating a second one.
Finance logins for bursars, and PDF invoices
School bursars and finance teams can now have their own login to see your school’s SSFA invoices, download them as PDFs and pay online. Get access at ssfa.online/finance-access, or ask your school manager to invite you from Manage Users.
Unpaid invoices now shown on your dashboard
Your school dashboard now lists any invoices waiting to be paid, with a Pay online button. If you have unpaid entries, Affiliation & Entries also shows the invoice and takes you to Invoices to pay it.
Dashboard buttons easier to read
The Add team details, Submit squad and Pay online buttons on the school dashboard now have readable white text, and Team Details lists missing items using the same names as the form (coach name, email and mobile).
Number of teams box fixed
When entering competitions, you can now clear the Number of teams box and type a new number. Previously this could jump to 8 teams by mistake, so please check your total before paying.
Adding a second team: clearer fee check
When adding another team to a competition you have already entered, the page now shows the entry fee and admin fee for you to confirm before payment, and the form opens properly across the page.
Fixture emails go to team coaches
Competition contact lists and fixture emails now go to the coach set for each team, instead of the school’s main contact. If a team has no coach set, the school’s main contact is still used, so please keep coach details up to date on your Team Details page.
Email buttons fixed
Some buttons in our emails, such as the trial choice link, were showing an invalid link page. This is now fixed, and buttons in emails already sent work again.
Available venues for rep teams
Rep team managers can now see a list of venues that have offered pitches to Sussex Schools FA, with contact details, on their team page.
Parents can correct the date of birth
When confirming a trial nomination, parents can now correct their child’s date of birth themselves instead of contacting us first, and choose how they are happy to be contacted about trials: email, text, WhatsApp or phone.
Results confirmed by both schools
When you enter a result you can now add goals, assists, cards, saves, injuries and player of the match. The other school is asked to confirm: if you both agree the score it is published straight away, and if they do not reply within 3 days it is confirmed as entered. Goalscorers and player of the match now appear on the results page.
Match-day team sheets
For each match, pick your starting line-up and subs from your season squad, check shirt numbers and choose a captain. Players not in the squad can be added on the day and are saved for next time.
Season squads for every team
Every school team can now save its squad for the season under Player Registration, then Season Squads. Paste your list straight from a spreadsheet or Word (for example "7 Jack Smith"), copy the squad from another of your teams, or upload the document and we will add the players for you.
Nomination comments no longer lost
If you type a comment on a nominated player and then press a decision button such as Invite or No trial place without pressing Post first, your comment is now saved as well.
Affiliation payments always unlock your school
You can now only pay for affiliation once your account is linked to your school, so the payment is applied straight away. If your account is not linked yet, you will be asked to contact us first.
Nominations: confirm the player is county standard
When nominating a player for county trials, schools now confirm the player is good enough to compete at county level. Nominations are limited and are not a reward, so please only put forward players ready for that standard.
Schools can fund a rep player after the family has paid
If a family has already paid a rep team affiliation and the school decides to fund it, the school can now pay and the family is refunded.
Card payments start reliably again
Fixed a fault that sometimes showed "Failed to create payment record" when starting a payment. If you saw this, please try again.
Year 6 girls: choose U11 mixed or U12 girls trial
When a Year 6 girl is nominated, her family can choose between the U11 mixed trial and the girls-only U12 trial.
Clearer message for unaffiliated schools
If your school is not affiliated yet, the nominations page now explains how to affiliate so you can nominate straight after.
Duplicate entries keep your payment
If a team was entered twice and we remove the duplicate, any payment now moves to the entry that stays, so you are not left waiting for a refund.
Season squads save correctly
Fixed a fault that stopped some season squads saving. The squad form also no longer shows example names, and a new "Tick all" button selects every registered player in one go.
Fixtures to arrange on your dashboard
Your dashboard now opens with a list of the fixtures you still need to arrange, showing each opponent's contact name, email and phone, so you can get in touch straight away. If a contact is wrong or isn't replying, one click lets SSFA know so we can find the right person.
Free affiliation for primary schools (U11)
Primary schools can now affiliate with no fee on the new U11 Representative Pathway, so staff can nominate Year 6 pupils for the Sussex U11 squads. Secondary schools and colleges continue on the standard affiliation.
Quick check for teams entered twice
If your school has an extra team entered that hasn’t been paid, we may email you to check whether it’s a real second team. One click either takes you to pay for it, or tells us it was added by mistake so we can remove it for you.
Match results save correctly again
Fixed a fault that stopped results being saved from the Submit Result page. If you saw “Could not save result”, please submit it again.
Entry fees invoiced for teams added by SSFA
When SSFA adds a team to a competition for you, an invoice for the entry fee now appears on your Invoices page straight away, so you can pay it online.
Parents can update emergency and medical details
Fixed a fault that stopped parents of rep team players saving their emergency contact and medical details. Your saved details now show on the form, and changes save first time.
Quick form for rep players’ emergency and medical details
Parents of rep team players can now be emailed a personal link to check and complete their child’s emergency contact, GP, medical conditions, medication and allergies, with no need to log in.
U19 squads with player names only
U19 teams can now submit their season squad by typing in player names, without each player needing to be registered first.
More than one invoice email for your school
Schools can now add several bursar or finance email addresses, separated by commas, so invoices reach everyone who needs them.
Year 5 players can be nominated for U11
Primary schools can now nominate Year 5 pupils who are ready to play up for the U11 trials. Managers can see these players are a year young.
U19 season squads required
U19 teams now need to submit their season squad before they can enter results. Your dashboard shows which teams still need one, with a link to submit it.
Printable trial sheets for Rep Team managers
Rep Team managers can print a trial sheet for each session with trialist numbers, positions and space for notes, download it as a spreadsheet, and get an email when a new player is ready to invite.
Trial safety information
When parents accept a county trial place they now give an emergency contact and any medical, allergy or additional-needs information, so trial staff can look after every player on the day.
School Contacts on your dashboard
A new School Contacts button on the school dashboard lists contact details for the other schools in your competitions, so arranging fixtures is quicker.
Matchday information for Rep Team managers
Rep Team managers can now open secure matchday information for the players selected for each fixture, including emergency contacts and medical notes, and parents can keep these details up to date from their dashboard.
Clearer trial postponements
When a trial is postponed, parents now receive a postponement notice rather than a cancellation, and are asked to confirm they have seen it.
Fairer league fixtures
League fixtures now alternate home and away games evenly through the season, and public fixtures show which division (for example East or West) a league match is in.
Staff handbook for managers and officers
SSFA staff, school managers, rep team managers and competition officers now have a step-by-step handbook for their role, available from their dashboard after logging in.
New trial dates offered to everyone
When a postponed trial is given a new date, every invited player is asked again, including those who could not make the original date.
Coach contact details kept private
Trial emails and rep team messages no longer show a coach or manager's own phone number or email. Parents always contact Sussex Schools FA, who pass messages on.
Managers can read every email sent to parents
Trial Intake now shows the full wording of each email sent to a parent, so managers can see exactly what was said and when.
Parents hear back when there is no trial place
If a rep team cannot offer a nominated player a trial place, the manager now presses "No trial place" and the parent is sent a polite email straight away, rather than hearing nothing.
Managers get a copy of every parent email
Whenever the system emails parents about a rep team (trial invites, updates, cancellations, call-ups, fixture changes), the team manager and assistants also get one copy showing the message and the list of parents it went to.
Guides on the rep manager dashboard
Rep team managers now see all their how-to guides, including the Player Nominations guide, as cards on their dashboard home screen.
Postponing a rep trial is now one button
Rep team managers can cancel or postpone a trial session and every invited parent is emailed straight away, with a link to confirm they have seen it. When a new date is set, "Reinstate with new details" sends the new arrangements to everyone.
Keeping team details up to date
Schools can now record each team's venue postcode and home and away kit colours on Team Details, and see what is still needed for each team.
Walkovers shown properly
When a team cannot play, competition officers can now award the match in a couple of clicks. Awarded results show as W/O (or Forfeit) on fixtures and results, count correctly in league tables, and cup winners move straight into the next round. Fixtures without a saved score no longer show as 0-0.
Easier fixture changes for competition officers
Officers can now change a fixture's teams by picking from the competition's own team list, and swap home and away with one click.
Next fixture shown first
Fixture lists for schools now show your next match at the top, with past results underneath, instead of the furthest-away date first. Public fixtures also label which team is at home.
Payments are online only
SSFA no longer accepts bank transfers. Schools pay every invoice online through the site, and are asked to confirm this the next time they log in. Bank transfers received are returned less a 25% handling fee.
Schools can give each coach their own login
On the Team Details page, school managers can now invite each team's coach to set up their own login with one click, and see which coaches already have one. Teams can also record their home venue.
Draft draws and a proper publish step
Cup draws now stay hidden as drafts until the competition officer publishes them, so they can be checked and changed first. Published draws can be taken back to draft or deleted without notifying schools.
Competition entries reopened for 2026/27
The entry deadline has been lifted, so schools that missed it can now enter 2026/27 competitions from the Affiliate page.
A complete rebuild of how competitions are run — from entry to final
We have rebuilt the whole competition system from the ground up: how teams enter, how draws and fixtures are made, how results move teams through a cup, and who runs each age group. It is the biggest change to SSFA competitions since the website moved onl
Spread the cost of rep team fees.
Parents can now pay a player's rep team affiliation fee with Klarna or Clearpay, as well as by card or bank.
Competition officers now manage their own age groups.
Each competition secretary and administrator sees and manages only the age groups assigned to them, with the same tools: entries, withdrawals, draws, fixtures and results. Deleting a competition that has teams entered is now blocked.
Fixture changes now need approval.
Schools can ask to add a fixture or change its date, time or venue from My Fixtures. A competition officer checks each request, and you'll get an email when it's approved or turned down.
Funded players register
A new Funded Players page tracks rep players whose affiliation is paid by their school, from invoice to payment, including refunds to parents who paid first.
Invoices to pay shown on school dashboards
Schools now see any unpaid invoices at the top of their dashboard, with a button to pay online.
Payments confirmed by Stripe only
Invoices are now only marked as paid once Stripe confirms the payment. Marking an invoice paid by hand is recorded as a manual override.
Draws now include every entered team
Competition secretaries can now include every entered team in a draw, whether or not the entry fee has been paid. Unpaid entries are passed to the Treasurer to chase.
Affiliation stays open after the entry deadline
Once a season's competition entry deadline passes, schools can still affiliate (this keeps you in good standing with SSFA and enables nominating players to representative teams) — only new competition entries are closed, with a clear banner explaining why.
Request more time before a cup deadline
If a team needs longer to play a cup fixture, they can now request an extension to that round's deadline from the dashboard (a small admin fee applies) instead of emailing the league.
Propose and agree your own match date
For some cup competitions, teams can now propose a match date to their opponent directly on the dashboard and agree it there, instead of waiting for a fixed calendar.
Tournament bracket view
Cup and Shield draws now show as a proper bracket, round by round, on the fixtures page — including "Winner of" placeholders for matches still waiting on an earlier result.
Request a fixture date change online
Teams can now request to change an agreed fixture date directly through the site (a small admin fee applies), instead of emailing the league. The competition admin reviews and approves or rejects each request.
End-of-season play-offs
Leagues can now feed their final standings straight into play-off matches once the season is marked complete — set up and published by the competition admin.
Smarter cup draws
The random cup draw can now group Round 1 by school location, cutting early-round travel — it's always a proposal shown to the admin before publishing, and can be freely adjusted (including pairing two teams that would otherwise both get a bye) before anything goes live.
Richer result submissions
Schools can now mark a fixture postponed or cancelled instead of only entering a score, add disciplinary notes, and attach optional supporting evidence (like a photo of the scoresheet) to a result submission. Admins can also correct a submitted result directly before approving it.
Faster competition setup for admins
Competitions with confirmed team entries are now automatically flagged as ready to configure, with league splits (e.g. East/West) proposed from school locations for admin review and approval — less manual setup, same admin control before anything goes live.
Automatic fixture dates & season squads (U19)
Admins can now set a season's default match day and holiday dates, then generate match dates for a division in one click. U19 teams also submit one season-long squad list (instead of registering players every match) — their fixtures stay locked until it's in, with an admin override for exceptional cases.
Dashboard: teams entered by school
The admin dashboard now shows a bar for each affiliated school with how many teams they've entered this season, and flags any still awaiting payment.
Player nominations now open per age group & squad
Schools now pick an open age group and squad (e.g. U12 Girls) on the Nominate Player page to see trial dates and submit a nomination — closed ones are greyed out until admin opens them. Each squad's trial info can also be printed for parents or emailed to them directly.
Rep team roster: shirt number, position & school
Rep team managers can now record each player's shirt number, usual playing position, and school, and see them at a glance on the team roster.
Fixed squad position saving for rep team managers
Rep team managers can now reliably save player positions, captain and substitute status when picking a squad — a data lookup bug meant some players were incorrectly rejected as unpaid.
Smarter account sign-up
Create Account now asks what you need first, so school staff are pointed straight to School Affiliation and rep team roles go to their own dedicated sign-up links, instead of everyone landing in one generic form.
Player nomination overhaul, self-service staff accounts
Player nominations rebuilt so parents confirm their own details directly with SSFA. Committee members can now request staff accounts via a self-service invite link, and admins have finer-grained per-role access controls.
Rep team parent portal, mobile-first redesign
Parents of representative players can view fixtures, report injuries, respond to squad call-ups and manage payments online. The whole site was rebuilt mobile-first, and two new step-by-step sign-up guides were published.
Multiple team entry, Guides & FAQs hub
Schools can enter more than one team per age group in a single visit. Added a searchable Guides & FAQs help centre, plus personal email signatures for staff.
School affiliation system launched
Schools can now affiliate with SSFA and enter competitions online end-to-end, with secure card payment.
Online payments launched
Competition entry fees can now be paid securely online by card, via Stripe checkout.