Being selected to represent your country is a big honour, no matter what the age group or player's level of experience.

Here you will find information on key requirements - and things to bear in mind - that will help you as an athlete or parent, with regard to athlete selection.

 

Eligibility

In order to play for England you must fulfil two criteria:

1. Be a UK citizen
2. Have England as your Federation of Origin

The first is fairly straightforward. No-one who is not currently a UK citizen will be selected for any England national team activities, and a UK passport is required to register for international competition.

The second requires some explanation.

 

Federation of Origin/Citizenship

As per the FIVB Sports Regulations (here), a player’s Federation of Origin is:

The Federation which is the first to issue a national license for the player or otherwise register the player within its Federation in the season in which the player turns fourteen (14) years of age (or older if first registered after the age of fourteen (14)…

For someone who has lived and played in England their whole life, this is not an issue. They will have their FO set to England the moment they have a Volleyball England membership during or subsequent to the season they turn 14. Please note, however, that Volleyball England membership is the specific triggering event. Being registered with a Region or County is not sufficient.

Things are trickier for someone who did not first establish England as their FO before playing in another country. If that participation did not involve a registration with that’s country’s Federation, then there’s no problem. The player can register with Volleyball England and set England as their FO.

If that participation did involve registration with that country’s Federation, though, the player’s FO has been set and would need to be changed for them to be eligible to compete for England. The process for doing so is outlined in Section 5 of the FIVB Sports Regulations. There is a fee involved.

The FIVB can sanction Federations quite severely if they field an ineligible player. As such, Volleyball England will need to be assured that a player’s FO is properly set to England before they are considered for national programme inclusion.

For players based in England

ENG U18 Squads

For athletes are born 2010/2011 and younger.

Selection for these squads took place in April 2026. The coaching team and Performance Director are currently reviewing opportunities for players who were unable to attend the Assessment Day (this does not apply to those who were unsuccessful on 3^rd April).

Coaches need to nominate eligible players using  this referral form. A decision will not be made before 31 May, and athletes will be contacted after this date. We do not accept direct player or parent referrals.

ENG U20 Squads

For athletes are born 2008/2009

The standard of athletes is very high, with most competing at top club level. As a result, only exceptional athletes with strong potential will be considered.

Coaches must nominate eligible players using this referral form. Nominations are reviewed monthly, with athletes contacted at the end of each review period. Please note that direct referrals from players or parents are not accepted.

For players based outside of England

If you are currently based outside England, but are eligible to play for England as outlined above (or want to work toward becoming eligible), please reach out to us at talent@volleyballengland.org.