Forum: Keisuke Honda’s actions in SPL match within regulations
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We refer to the letter “FAS must clarify coaching rules and scope of support staff roles”, (Sept 17).
The SPL 2026/27 Regulations set the minimum coaching qualification for a head coach as the AFC Professional Coaching Diploma or an equivalent. This requirement exists to ensure that overall responsibility for a team’s technical management sits with a qualified individual – the head coach remains accountable for the team regardless of which registered team official conveys instructions from the technical area during a given match.
The regulations also govern eligibility and registration for other team officials. Match officials monitor the technical area during every match to ensure only one team official conveys tactical instructions at any time. This is consistent with global practice under Law 1 (The Field of Play), Section 9 (The Technical Area) of the IFAB Laws of the Game, which provides that only one person at a time may convey tactical instructions from the technical area, and that the number of occupants is defined by competition rules.
An allowance is made for individuals assisting solely to translate the team official’s instructions.
FAS will continue to engage clubs on how team official roles are applied in practice.
In respect of Keisuke Honda, FC Jurong registered him as both a player and a team official for the season. For the match against Young Lions, he was listed as a team official.
As only one team official may convey tactical instructions from the technical area at any time, and Honda was registered as a team official for that match, this was within the regulations. Had he instead been named as player for that match, he would not have been permitted to occupy the technical area nor convey instructions.
Yeo Jun Xian
Head, Pro Football
Football Association of Singapore