After fans played a role in deciding the winners of the men’s and women’s player and coach awards at the inaugural The Best FIFA Football Awards™, it is almost time for the process to begin once more. The vote opens to the public on Monday 21 August, and we have put together this handy checklist to not only help make sure your vote counts, but also to avoid any misunderstanding of the process.

Please read the following overview and happy voting!

Where can I vote? Easy! You can vote on the individual page of each award on FIFA.com:

The Best Men’s Player 2017

The Best Women’s Player 2017

The Best Men’s Coach 2017

The Best Women’s Coach 2017

Who votes for The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Women’s Coach?The vote is split equally between four voting groups of participants: national coaches of FIFA Member Associations, their team captains, a select group of media from those countries and fans.

So the players and coaches who receive the most votes from fans will likely win?Incorrect! As explained in the rules of allocation, fans' votes will make up exactly 25 per cent of the total, so no matter how many fans across the world participate the quota will still be one quarter.

How are the votes calculated?Each player/coach award consists of four voting groups (national coaches, national captains, a select group of media and the fans). Each group’s votes are counted and converted into a percentage. This percentage is divided by four, making sure that all voting groups are weighted equally at 25 per cent.  The four percentages are then added together to form a total percentage that defines the winner.

How many votes can I cast for players and coaches?You can only choose three players or coaches per category, which is the same as media, national captains and coaches. Your first choice will receive five (5) points, the second three (3) points and the third one (1) point.

When can I vote?The voting period begins on 21 August 2017 and concludes on 7 September 2017.

How do I cast my votes?It is quite simple. You will just need to be registered as a FIFA.com Club member with a valid email address. Once you sign up, you will just need to verify your account. So if you are not yet a member, then sign up now!

How many times can I vote in each category?Only once! So make sure you think through your vote thoroughly before submitting. Once done, you cannot change it.

Can fans for any other categories, besides best male and female players and coaches?Yes. You can also vote for the FIFA Puskás Award (voting open between mid-September and 23 October) and the FIFA Fan Award (voting open mid-September until 22 October). You do not need to be a FIFA.com Club member to vote in these two categories.

Who oversees the voting and vote tallying process?The voting procedure for each of the awards is supervised and monitored by the independent observers PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).