The Top 5 Governance Mistakes Soccer Clubs Make—and How to Avoid Them

By Forza Advisory

Intro

Strong governance is the backbone of successful, sustainable soccer clubs and organizations. Unfortunately, too many organizations fall into common traps that create confusion, spark conflict, and risk legal exposure. Let’s look at the top five governance mistakes we see across youth, semi-pro, and nonprofit soccer organizations—and how your club or organization can fix or avoid them.

1. Confusing Governance with Operations

The concept is simple: your board governs and your staff or volunteers operate. Easy enough, right? The problem lies when board members blur that line—which can come in many forms from micromanaging staff, to making day-to-day decisions, or running programs themselves. When any of this happens, it undermines accountability and leads to board burnout and, staff discouragement and ultimately, to an ineffective organization. Often this occurs during phases of transition, or during the need for transition, where the board may have to step in and take on more operational roles than true board oversight. When that happens, and more often than not, it will at some point, boundaries need to be set and a definitive plan needs to be put in place to return the board to its natural habitat - oversight and policy setting, not implementation and day to day operations.

Solution: Define clear roles in your bylaws and Board Policy Manual. Empower your executive director or leadership staff to manage operations within the strategic direction set by the board. Make sure that there is a clear chain of command that is well-defined and without an avenue for confusion.

2. No Clear Terms or Succession Plan

Some clubs let board members serve indefinitely. Others scramble when a longtime president resigns. Without term limits or leadership succession plans, your club risks stagnation, confusion, and power vacuums.

Solution: Establish clear term limits and leadership rotation in your bylaws. Use board evaluations and a nominations committee to plan future leadership transitions.

3. Weak or Missing Conflict of Interest Policies

Many clubs have coaches or parents serving on the board. That’s fine—until decisions involve their own teams, players, or compensation. Without a strong conflict of interest policy, your board risks credibility and compliance issues.

Solution: Avoid obvious conflicting situations (i.e. coaches on the board; close relatives serving together, etc.) Adopt a written conflict of interest policy. Require annual disclosure forms and recusal when necessary. Document all decisions involving potential conflicts.

4. Inconsistent Board Meetings or Agendas

If your board only meets when there’s a crisis—or spends meetings chasing minor issues—you’re missing the chance to lead strategically.

Solution: Set an annual meeting calendar. Use a structured agenda and provide materials in advance. Focus on strategic oversight, not operational details.

5. No Governance Documents Beyond Bylaws

Bylaws alone aren’t enough. Without a Board Policy Manual, board expectations, evaluation tools, and compliance policies, your club is flying blind.

Solution: Create a governance library that includes:

• Board Policy Manual

• Conflict of Interest Policy

• Whistleblower, Document Retention, and Social Media Policies

• Board Orientation Packet- Evaluation tools for staff and board performance.

Good Governance Builds Strong Clubs

When your governance structure is solid, everything else improves: leadership continuity, staff morale, fundraising, risk management, and community trust. These five mistakes are common—but they’re also fixable.

Need help fixing your bylaws, creating policies, or training your board?

Forza Advisory specializes in governance transformation for soccer organizations.

📩 Contact us today or explore our membership options.