Sports Technician in Football: subject convalidations
The Sports Technician in Football convalidates subjects with other sport qualifications and is professionally equivalent to the UEFA Licence. Framework: RD 320/2000, Orden EFP/892/2023 and Article 167 bis of the RFEF Regulations.
- TD ↔ UEFA: TD-1 = UEFA B, TD-2 = UEFA A, TD Superior = UEFA Pro (ratified by the CSD in April 2025).
- Common block: passed at one level, valid for the same level in any sport specialty.
- From FP and CCAFD/INEF: official table in Orden EFP/892/2023 (TAFAD, TSEAS, CCAFD degree).
- First Aid: individual CSD ruling, even when the rest of the block convalidates.
- Specific block and placements: do not convalidate except for documented professional correspondence (Annex V RD 320/2000).
Current legal framework
Three rules govern Sports Technician in Football convalidations in Spain. Worth bookmarking — each covers a different piece of the puzzle:
- RD 320/2000, of 3 March. Sets the Sports Technician and Higher Sports Technician titles in Football and Futsal, the minimum teachings, the access tests and the specific-block convalidations (Annex V).
- Orden EFP/892/2023, of 26 July (BOE 29 July 2023; corrigendum BOE 4 August 2023). Official table of common-block convalidations from FP, TAFAD, TSEAS and sport science degrees (CCAFD). Repealed Order ECI/3224/2004.
- Article 167 bis of the RFEF Regulations. Professional equivalence with UEFA licences, approved by the RFEF Delegate Commission on 5 February 2025 and ratified by the CSD Directive Commission in April 2025.
Convalidations within the Sports Technician itself
If you have already passed the common block of one level, you do not repeat it when you move up:
- Common block: passed at one level, it counts for the same level in any specialty. The common block of the football Initial Cycle also works for the Initial Cycle of another sport.
- Specific block: moving up to TD-2 or TD Superior, you redo the specific block (the football-specific content). As a rule, it does not convalidate.
- Placements and project: done at each level, not carried over from the previous one.
Official TD ↔ UEFA Licence equivalence
Since February 2025, Article 167 bis of the RFEF Regulations recognises full professional equivalence between the two systems:
- TD Level 1 (Initial Cycle) is equivalent to the UEFA B Licence.
- TD Level 2 (Final Cycle) is equivalent to the UEFA A Licence.
- TD Superior is equivalent to the UEFA Pro Licence.
Important: the equivalence is professional, not academic. It lets you coach in the categories the matching UEFA licence opens, but the academic title remains the TD (permanent, from the Ministry of Education). For the per-category detail, see what each licence lets you coach and the TD vs UEFA comparison.
| Academic title | UEFA equivalence | Source |
|---|---|---|
| TD Level 1 (Initial Cycle) | UEFA B | Art. 167 bis RFEF Regulations |
| TD Level 2 (Final Cycle) | UEFA A | Art. 167 bis RFEF Regulations |
| TD Superior | UEFA Pro | Art. 167 bis RFEF Regulations |
Common block from TAFAD, TSEAS and CCAFD degree
Orden EFP/892/2023 publishes in Annex I the official table of common-block convalidations from other sport-related qualifications:
- TAFAD (Higher Technician in Sports and Physical Activity Animation, RD 2048/1995; now replaced by TSEAS) and TSEAS (Higher Technician in Sport-Social Teaching and Promotion): convalidate most modules of the common block at the corresponding level.
- Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (CCAFD / INEF): convalidates the full common block of Level 1 and, depending on subjects taken, also Level 2.
- Other sport-related FP qualifications included in Orden EFP/892/2023: check the Annex matching your title.
The specific table varies between modules, so the procedure is to request the convalidation individually with your transcript.
Need to know if your prior qualification convalidates? Use the assistant.
WizardThe special case of First Aid
The First Aid module of the common block has a different regime. Even if you hold TAFAD, a CCAFD degree or another title that would normally convalidate the full common block, First Aid requires an individual CSD ruling.
In practice: even with a clean application, the centre may ask you either to take the module or to provide a recent official first aid certificate. Ask before enrolling whether your centre accepts external certificates (Red Cross, SAMUR, equivalents) or requires you to take the module.
Specific block and placements: what does not convalidate
The specific block (football-specific content) and the practical training do not convalidate as a general rule. Annex V of RD 320/2000 opens a narrow route to recognise:
- Correspondence with professional experience in football (coaching, technical direction), with documentation from the club and the federation.
- Officially recognised high-level sports practice (DAN-rated athletes or equivalent).
In every case it is an individual procedure and the ruling comes from the CSD or the competent education authority. It is not automatic.
How to apply for convalidation
The typical procedure, once admitted to an authorised centre:
- 1. Gather your file: academic transcript of the previous qualification (TAFAD, TSEAS, CCAFD, another TD), with grades and modules taken.
- 2. Apply at the centre where you enrolled, within the window opened at the start of the academic year. The application uses the centre form plus your transcript.
- 3. The centre rules on table-based modules (Orden EFP/892/2023, Annex I). For off-table modules or special cases, it escalates to the CSD or to your region's education authority.
- 4. You receive a ruling with convalidated, denied or pending modules (those needing individual CSD resolution). Timing varies: 1-3 months for table-based modules, longer for CSD-handled ones.
- 5. Once ruled, you do not take or examine the convalidated modules. They appear on your transcript as "convalidated" or with the grade from the originating title, per the rule.
If you hold a foreign title, before requesting convalidation you must homologate the title; without prior homologation, the convalidation is not processed.
Frequently asked questions
If I hold UEFA B, does TD Level 1 convalidate automatically?
Not automatically. What Article 167 bis recognises is professional equivalence between TD-1 and UEFA B: with either of them you coach in the same categories. But the academic TD-1 title is only issued by the education authority after you take it or after an individual convalidation ruling. If you want the Ministry certificate, follow the centre's procedure.
How long does the convalidation take and how much does it cost?
Convalidations that fall within the Orden EFP/892/2023 table are resolved at the centre in 1-3 months. Those escalated to the CSD for individual ruling can take 3 to 8 months. The procedure itself has no fee for table-based modules; individual CSD rulings sometimes carry a fee, check in your region.
Do CCAFD (INEF) degree credits convalidate?
Yes, to a large extent. The CCAFD degree convalidates the full common block of Level 1 under Orden EFP/892/2023, and parts of Level 2. The specific block (football-specific content) and placements do not convalidate: you must take them. It is the fast lane if you come from INEF and want to add TD to your career.
Can placements be convalidated by coaching experience?
Only in very specific cases. Annex V of RD 320/2000 allows recognition of placements if you document professional coaching experience with club and federation papers, or through officially recognised high-level athletic practice. It is not automatic: the ruling comes from the CSD or the competent education authority.
Does First Aid convalidation go separately?
Yes. It is the exception within the common block: even if your title convalidates the whole block, First Aid needs individual CSD ruling. Some centres accept an external certificate (Red Cross, SAMUR) instead of taking the module. Ask before enrolling what your centre's policy is.