It seems to be a common problem: only one in five managers have management qualifications.
Short, 52, who lives in London, made the call appointing di Canio himself, after what other club officials described as an intensive weighing of the new manager's qualifications and background, including his political leanings.
As well as the new qualification for recruits there would also be a "frontline" manager's qualification and a senior manager's qualification.
Rupert Sheard, AQA qualifications manager, says the decision was reached in consultation with teachers, and reflects a balance between keeping the subject exciting and maintaining "a duty of care to all those students taking our course to make sure the content isn't going to cause them undue distress".
Familiar soul-searching, a new manager, another comfortable qualification campaign and, no doubt, a huge anticlimax in Russia in two years' time.
When Mexico faces New Zealand on Wednesday, in the first of two matches to decide who goes to Brazil, El Tri will be under its fourth manager in five qualification matches.
After the previous manager Takeshi Okada sealed qualification for the last World Cup in South Africa in June 2009, he discovered that opponents of a higher standard than those faced in the Asian preliminaries had little problem exploiting the vast space that opened up between Japan's creative midfield and their capable but slow centre-backs.
Assistant manager Mark McGhee believes qualification for Euro 2016 is the only criteria for the Scotland squad to be considered "something special".
Streltsov returned to Torpedo in the capacity of youth team manager following his qualification; he also spent a brief spell as manager of the first team before returning to the youth team in 1982.
Among the recommendations were that Ten Tors participants should undergo more than two training expeditions prior to the main event, that the team managers attain recognised qualifications and that the Health and Safety Executive ensure that independent schools adhere to the same safety standards as state schools.
