Safeguarding in Sports: Legal Duties to Protect Minors and Athletes

Introduction

Safeguarding in sports has become one of the most important legal and governance issues in the modern sports industry. Sport should provide an environment where athletes can train, compete, develop and participate without fear of abuse, harassment, exploitation, discrimination, violence or retaliation. This duty is especially important for minors, but safeguarding is not limited to children. Adult athletes, coaches, officials, referees, staff members, volunteers and participants may also be vulnerable to abuse or misconduct within sports systems.

For many years, sports organizations treated safeguarding as a moral or welfare issue. Today, it is also a legal, regulatory and institutional duty. Clubs, federations, academies, schools, event organizers and sports associations are expected to prevent harm, identify risks, respond to complaints, protect victims, discipline offenders and cooperate with public authorities where necessary.

International sports bodies increasingly recognize safeguarding as a core obligation. FIFA states that every person has the right to protection from harassment and abuse and that effective preventative measures help ensure football is played in a safe and supportive environment. FIFA’s Guardians programme also provides a framework for member associations to prevent harm to children in football and respond appropriately.

This article explains safeguarding in sports from a legal perspective, focusing on the duties of clubs, federations, coaches, medical teams, event organizers and governing bodies to protect minors and athletes.

What Is Safeguarding in Sports?

Safeguarding in sports refers to the systems, policies, procedures and legal duties designed to protect athletes and participants from harm. It includes prevention, risk assessment, education, reporting, investigation, victim support and disciplinary action.

Safeguarding covers many forms of harm, including:

• physical abuse;
• sexual abuse;
• emotional and psychological abuse;
• harassment;
• bullying;
• discrimination;
• exploitation;
• grooming;
• neglect;
• hazing;
• retaliation against complainants;
• unsafe training environments;
• abuse of power by coaches, officials or staff;
• online abuse and digital harassment.

The International Olympic Committee’s 2016 consensus statement described safe sport as an athletic environment that is respectful, equitable and free from all forms of non-accidental violence to athletes. It also noted that harassment and abuse had often remained a blind spot for sports organizations because of fear of reputational damage, silence, ignorance or collusion.

This definition is important because safeguarding is not limited to extreme criminal conduct. It also includes harmful cultures, abusive coaching practices, intimidation, humiliation, coercive control and organizational failures that allow misconduct to continue.

Why Safeguarding Is a Legal Duty

Safeguarding is a legal duty because sports organizations exercise power over athletes. Clubs, academies and federations control access to training, competition, selection, scholarships, contracts, team membership and career progression. This creates relationships of dependency and vulnerability, particularly for young athletes.

A child athlete may fear losing their place in the team if they report abuse. A professional athlete may fear contract termination, benching or reputational harm. A national team athlete may fear losing selection. A student-athlete may fear losing a scholarship. These power imbalances create legal and ethical duties for organizations to prevent abuse and protect complainants.

FIFA’s safeguarding guidance expressly states that every member association engaging directly or indirectly with children has a duty to do all it can to protect children from harm and promote their well-being within football. The same guidance is intended to help organizations develop policies, plans, training needs and accountability systems for keeping children safe.

Legal duties may arise from different sources, including national child protection laws, criminal law, employment law, tort law, contract law, federation rules, safeguarding policies, human rights principles, education law and event regulations. Even where a specific sports law provision does not exist, general legal duties of care may still apply.

Protection of Minors in Sport

Minors require special protection because they are physically, emotionally and legally vulnerable. A child may not fully understand abusive conduct, may be dependent on adults for training and travel, and may feel unable to challenge authority. This is why child safeguarding must be treated as a central part of sports governance.

Child safeguarding duties include:

• safe recruitment of coaches and staff;
• background checks where legally permitted;
• codes of conduct;
• supervision rules;
• travel and accommodation policies;
• parental consent procedures;
• reporting channels;
• anti-grooming measures;
• safe locker room policies;
• online communication rules;
• protection from bullying and hazing;
• medical and welfare support;
• mandatory reporting where required by law.

FIFA’s child safeguarding framework emphasizes prevention and response. Its Guardians programme is designed to help member associations prevent risk of harm to children in football and respond appropriately.

For clubs and academies, this means safeguarding cannot be reduced to a written policy stored on a website. It must be implemented through training, monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting and enforcement.

Safeguarding Adult Athletes

Although minors need special protection, adult athletes also require safeguarding. Adult athletes may be exposed to harassment, coercive control, sexual misconduct, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, discriminatory treatment, unsafe medical pressure or retaliation after complaints.

Adult athletes are particularly vulnerable where their career depends on coaches, selectors, club executives, agents, federation officials or sponsors. Abuse of authority is a recurring problem in sport. The IOC’s safeguarding materials recognize that harassment and abuse may involve improper use of a position of influence, power or authority against another person.

Adult safeguarding is especially relevant in elite sport, where pressure to perform can normalize harmful conduct. Examples include humiliation as a coaching method, forced training through injury, body-shaming, threats of exclusion, sexualized comments, isolation, retaliation for complaints and coercive control over personal life.

A legally sound safeguarding system should protect all participants, not only children.

Forms of Abuse and Misconduct in Sport

Safeguarding policies should define prohibited conduct clearly. Vague policies are difficult to enforce and may leave victims unprotected.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse may include hitting, pushing, excessive physical punishment, forced training through injury, dangerous drills, denial of hydration, or reckless disregard for athlete safety. In contact sports, organizations must distinguish between ordinary sporting contact and abusive conduct outside legitimate training or competition.

Sexual Abuse and Harassment

Sexual abuse and harassment may include unwanted touching, sexual comments, grooming, sexualized messages, coercive relationships, abuse of authority, exploitation of minors, non-consensual image sharing or pressure for sexual favors. These cases may require urgent protection measures and referral to public authorities.

Emotional and Psychological Abuse

Emotional abuse may include humiliation, intimidation, threats, isolation, constant insults, body-shaming, degrading punishment, manipulation or coercive control. Psychological harm may be serious even without physical injury.

Bullying and Hazing

Bullying may occur between athletes, by coaches, or within team culture. Hazing may be wrongly normalized as tradition but can involve humiliation, violence, sexualized conduct or coercion.

Discrimination

Discrimination may involve race, sex, disability, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or other protected characteristics. Sports organizations must prevent discriminatory treatment by staff, athletes, supporters and officials.

Exploitation

Exploitation may be financial, sexual, labor-related or commercial. Young athletes may be pressured into unfair contracts, excessive training, unpaid promotional duties or unsafe travel arrangements.

World Athletics’ safeguarding policy states that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to participate in athletics in a safe environment free from abuse, harassment and exploitation.

Legal Duties of Sports Clubs

Sports clubs are often the first line of protection. They directly interact with athletes, employ coaches, organize training, manage facilities, arrange travel and control team culture. For this reason, clubs have significant safeguarding responsibilities.

A club should:

• adopt a safeguarding policy;
• appoint a safeguarding officer;
• conduct risk assessments;
• implement safe recruitment procedures;
• train coaches, staff and volunteers;
• create confidential reporting channels;
• keep safeguarding records;
• investigate complaints fairly;
• protect complainants from retaliation;
• cooperate with law enforcement where required;
• suspend or restrict alleged offenders where necessary;
• support affected athletes;
• review policies after incidents.

A club may face legal liability if it knew or should have known about safeguarding risks and failed to act. For example, if repeated complaints are ignored, if a coach with known misconduct is allowed to continue working with minors, or if a club retaliates against an athlete who reports abuse, the club may face civil, disciplinary and reputational consequences.

Legal Duties of Federations and Governing Bodies

Federations and governing bodies have broader institutional duties. They create rules, license clubs, accredit coaches, organize competitions, select national teams and discipline participants. Their safeguarding responsibilities include both prevention and enforcement.

A federation should:

• create national safeguarding standards;
• require member clubs to adopt safeguarding policies;
• provide education and training;
• maintain disciplinary procedures;
• establish independent reporting channels;
• protect whistleblowers;
• regulate coach licensing;
• investigate serious misconduct;
• keep records of sanctions;
• prevent banned individuals from moving between clubs;
• cooperate with public authorities;
• monitor compliance by member organizations.

World Athletics introduced Safeguarding Rules approved by its Council on 3 December 2025 and effective from 1 January 2026. The rules state that World Athletics takes responsibility for creating safe and positive environments for those involved in the athletics community and aims to guard against abuse, harassment and exploitation.

Federations should not treat safeguarding as optional guidance. Where rules exist, failure to implement them may create disciplinary and legal exposure.

Duties of Coaches and Support Personnel

Coaches, trainers, physiotherapists, doctors, analysts, team managers and volunteers often have close contact with athletes. Their conduct can directly affect athlete safety and welfare.

Coaches and support personnel must:

• respect professional boundaries;
• avoid abusive training methods;
• avoid sexual or exploitative relationships with athletes under their authority;
• communicate appropriately with minors;
• follow medical and welfare guidance;
• report safeguarding concerns;
• avoid retaliation against complainants;
• maintain confidentiality where appropriate;
• cooperate with investigations.

The coach-athlete relationship is built on trust and authority. This power must not be misused. A coach who humiliates, threatens, grooms, assaults or exploits athletes may face disciplinary sanctions, civil liability and criminal proceedings.

Sports organizations should not rely only on personal trust. They must provide codes of conduct, training, supervision and reporting systems.

Safe Recruitment and Background Checks

Safe recruitment is a key part of safeguarding. Clubs and federations must avoid appointing individuals who pose a risk to athletes, especially minors.

Safe recruitment may include:

• identity verification;
• reference checks;
• criminal record checks where legally permitted;
• qualification verification;
• safeguarding training;
• interview questions about athlete welfare;
• probation periods;
• codes of conduct;
• monitoring after appointment.

Background checks alone are not enough. Many offenders do not have criminal records. Therefore, safe recruitment must be combined with supervision, reporting culture and ongoing compliance.

A club that fails to conduct reasonable checks may be criticized if an appointed coach later harms athletes, especially where warning signs were available.

Reporting Mechanisms and Whistleblower Protection

A safeguarding system is ineffective if athletes do not know how to report concerns or fear retaliation. Reporting mechanisms must be accessible, confidential and trusted.

A proper reporting system should include:

• multiple reporting channels;
• independent contact points;
• child-friendly reporting options;
• anonymous reporting where appropriate;
• emergency reporting procedures;
• clear timelines;
• protection from retaliation;
• referral to public authorities when required;
• documentation of all complaints;
• feedback to complainants where possible.

The Council of Europe’s safeguarding materials highlight support systems and case management tools, including helplines and educational materials for sports clubs and federations in certain national examples.

Whistleblower protection is essential. Athletes must not be punished for reporting abuse. Retaliation may include benching, exclusion, intimidation, contract pressure, public shaming or loss of selection. Sports organizations should treat retaliation as an independent disciplinary offence.

Investigation Duties

When a safeguarding complaint is made, the organization must respond promptly and fairly. Ignoring a complaint, conducting a superficial review or prioritizing reputation over athlete safety can create legal liability.

A proper investigation should:

• assess immediate risk;
• protect the complainant;
• preserve evidence;
• appoint an impartial investigator;
• inform relevant authorities where required;
• respect confidentiality;
• allow the accused person to respond;
• interview witnesses;
• review documents and digital evidence;
• produce written findings;
• impose proportionate measures where misconduct is proven;
• provide appeal or review rights where rules require.

Safeguarding investigations must balance fairness and protection. The accused person has procedural rights, but the complainant also has a right to safety and dignity. Interim measures may be necessary before a final decision, particularly where minors are involved.

Mandatory Reporting and Cooperation with Public Authorities

Some safeguarding matters may involve criminal conduct, child abuse or serious risk of harm. In such cases, sports organizations may have legal obligations to report to police, child protection authorities or other public bodies.

Sports organizations should not attempt to handle serious criminal allegations only through internal procedures. Internal discipline cannot replace criminal investigation where the law requires official reporting.

A safeguarding policy should clearly define:

• which concerns must be reported externally;
• who is responsible for reporting;
• how urgent risk is assessed;
• how evidence is preserved;
• how confidentiality is managed;
• how the organization cooperates with authorities;
• how the athlete is supported during the process.

Failure to report may expose individuals and organizations to legal consequences, depending on national law.

Safeguarding at Events and Competitions

Event organizers have safeguarding duties before, during and after competitions. Risks may arise in travel, accommodation, locker rooms, medical areas, mixed zones, media areas, transport, ceremonies and online event platforms.

Event safeguarding measures should include:

• accreditation controls;
• child protection rules;
• safe accommodation policies;
• transport supervision;
• medical and welfare support;
• reporting desks;
• emergency procedures;
• volunteer training;
• photography and filming rules;
• online abuse monitoring;
• codes of conduct for participants;
• procedures for removing unsafe persons.

Large events should have a dedicated safeguarding plan. This is especially important where minors participate, where athletes travel internationally, or where volunteers and temporary staff have access to participants.

Online Safeguarding and Digital Abuse

Safeguarding now extends into digital spaces. Athletes may face harassment, grooming, cyberbullying, non-consensual image sharing, threats, doxing, sexualized comments and abuse on social media or messaging platforms.

Online safeguarding risks include:

• inappropriate coach-athlete messaging;
• private communication with minors;
• abusive team chats;
• sharing intimate images;
• online grooming;
• harassment after poor performance;
• discriminatory abuse from fans;
• misuse of athlete images;
• impersonation accounts;
• pressure through digital surveillance.

Sports organizations should establish digital communication rules. For minors, one-to-one private messaging between adults and children should be restricted or monitored according to safeguarding standards. Teams should define acceptable communication channels, parental access, recordkeeping and reporting procedures.

Medical Safeguarding and Athlete Welfare

Safeguarding also includes athlete health and medical welfare. Abuse can occur when athletes are pressured to train or compete while injured, denied medical care, subjected to unsafe weight-control practices or exposed to harmful performance demands.

Medical safeguarding duties include:

• independent medical decision-making;
• protection against forced return to play;
• concussion protocols;
• mental health support;
• safe nutrition practices;
• protection from body-shaming;
• confidential medical records;
• informed consent;
• safe medication practices;
• anti-doping education.

Athlete welfare should not be sacrificed for short-term performance. A coach or club that pressures an injured athlete to continue may create legal and safeguarding risk.

Safeguarding and Anti-Doping, Match-Fixing and Integrity

Safeguarding also intersects with integrity issues such as doping, match-fixing and financial exploitation. Athletes may be pressured by coaches, doctors, agents or criminal networks to use prohibited substances, manipulate results or share inside information.

Minors and young athletes are particularly vulnerable to such pressure. They may not understand the consequences or may fear losing opportunities.

A safeguarding framework should therefore include education on:

• anti-doping risks;
• supplement safety;
• match-fixing approaches;
• betting rules;
• financial exploitation;
• agent misconduct;
• reporting pressure or coercion.

Safeguarding is not only about preventing abuse in a narrow sense. It is about creating a safe environment where athletes can make free, informed and protected decisions.

Legal Liability for Safeguarding Failures

Safeguarding failures may create multiple forms of liability.

Civil Liability

A club, federation or organization may face civil claims if negligence contributed to abuse or harm. Claims may involve failure to supervise, negligent hiring, failure to investigate, unsafe systems, breach of duty of care or psychological injury.

Criminal Liability

Individuals may face criminal liability for assault, sexual offences, exploitation, threats, harassment, child abuse or failure to report where required by law.

Employment Liability

Employees may bring claims related to harassment, discrimination, retaliation, unsafe workplace conditions or wrongful dismissal after reporting misconduct.

Disciplinary Liability

Sports bodies may impose suspensions, bans, fines, licence withdrawal, coaching disqualification, event exclusion or club sanctions.

Reputational and Commercial Liability

Sponsors may terminate agreements, athletes may leave, fans may lose trust and governing bodies may impose compliance monitoring. Recent public criticism of safeguarding systems in international sport shows that failure to protect athletes can create major institutional pressure and reputational consequences.

Disciplinary Sanctions in Safeguarding Cases

Sanctions should be proportionate to the seriousness of misconduct and risk. They may include:

• warning;
• mandatory education;
• suspension;
• removal from role;
• coaching licence withdrawal;
• ban from contact with minors;
• ban from sports-related activity;
• termination of employment;
• club fine;
• federation monitoring;
• referral to authorities;
• permanent exclusion in serious cases.

Sanctions should not focus only on individual offenders. Where an organization failed to supervise, ignored complaints or maintained unsafe systems, institutional sanctions or compliance orders may be necessary.

Rights of the Complainant and the Accused

Safeguarding procedures must protect both complainants and accused persons. A fair process is essential for legitimacy.

Complainants should have:

• access to safe reporting;
• protection from retaliation;
• trauma-informed communication;
• privacy protection;
• support services;
• updates where appropriate;
• opportunity to provide evidence;
• protection during ongoing proceedings.

Accused persons should have:

• notice of allegations;
• opportunity to respond;
• impartial investigation;
• access to relevant evidence where appropriate;
• proportionate interim measures;
• appeal or review rights where rules allow.

Fairness does not mean inaction. Where immediate risk exists, protective measures may be necessary before final findings.

Safeguarding Policy: Essential Components

A safeguarding policy should include:

• statement of commitment;
• definitions of abuse and misconduct;
• scope of application;
• child protection rules;
• adult athlete protection rules;
• reporting procedures;
• investigation process;
• confidentiality rules;
• mandatory reporting obligations;
• anti-retaliation protection;
• codes of conduct;
• safe recruitment requirements;
• education and training obligations;
• event safeguarding standards;
• online communication rules;
• recordkeeping;
• disciplinary sanctions;
• review and audit procedures.

World Athletics’ safeguarding materials emphasize that everyone involved in athletics has a role in actively preventing abuse, harassment or exploitation. This principle applies across sports: safeguarding is not only the responsibility of one officer; it must be embedded in the entire organization.

Safeguarding Training and Education

Training is essential. A policy that people do not understand will not protect athletes.

Training should be provided to:

• athletes;
• parents;
• coaches;
• volunteers;
• medical staff;
• team managers;
• board members;
• event staff;
• referees;
• agents;
• safeguarding officers.

Training should cover recognizing abuse, boundaries, reporting, child protection, online safety, retaliation, bystander intervention and trauma-informed responses. For minors, education should be age-appropriate and accessible.

The IOC’s 2024 safeguarding consensus emphasized that safe sport should be treated as everybody’s responsibility. This is an important cultural point: safeguarding cannot succeed if it is seen as only a compliance formality.

Practical Checklist for Clubs

Sports clubs should ask:

• Do we have a written safeguarding policy?
• Is there a trained safeguarding officer?
• Are coaches and volunteers screened?
• Are staff trained annually?
• Do athletes know how to report concerns?
• Are minors protected during travel and accommodation?
• Are digital communication rules in place?
• Are complaints documented securely?
• Do we protect complainants from retaliation?
• Do we cooperate with authorities where required?
• Do we review safeguarding risks after incidents?
• Are banned individuals prevented from returning through another role?

Practical Checklist for Federations

Federations should ask:

• Do member clubs have minimum safeguarding standards?
• Are safeguarding rules mandatory?
• Is there an independent reporting channel?
• Are disciplinary rules clear?
• Are sanctions recorded and enforceable?
• Are coaches licensed and monitored?
• Is there a national safeguarding officer or unit?
• Are clubs audited for compliance?
• Are children and adult athletes both protected?
• Are event safeguarding plans required?
• Are appeal and review mechanisms fair?
• Are survivors supported?

Practical Checklist for Athletes and Parents

Athletes and parents should ask:

• Does the club have a safeguarding policy?
• Who is the safeguarding contact person?
• Are coaches trained and screened?
• Are there rules on private communication?
• Are travel and accommodation supervised?
• Can concerns be reported confidentially?
• What happens after a complaint?
• Are complainants protected from retaliation?
• Are medical and welfare decisions independent?
• Are athletes educated about abuse and boundaries?

Common Safeguarding Failures

Common failures include:

1. treating safeguarding as a public relations issue;
2. failing to investigate complaints;
3. allowing accused persons to continue unsupervised contact with minors;
4. ignoring emotional abuse because there is no physical injury;
5. failing to document complaints;
6. using informal mediation in serious abuse cases;
7. retaliating against complainants;
8. failing to conduct background checks;
9. lacking online communication rules;
10. failing to report criminal allegations;
11. protecting the reputation of the club over the safety of athletes;
12. failing to monitor coaches after warnings;
13. failing to educate athletes about reporting rights;
14. assuming adult athletes cannot be victims;
15. allowing banned individuals to move to another club.

These failures can create legal liability and long-term institutional damage.

Conclusion

Safeguarding in sports is no longer optional. It is a legal, ethical and governance duty. Clubs, federations, coaches, medical teams, event organizers and sports institutions must protect minors and athletes from abuse, harassment, exploitation, discrimination and unsafe environments.

The duty to safeguard includes prevention, education, safe recruitment, reporting channels, proper investigation, victim support, disciplinary enforcement and cooperation with public authorities. Children require special protection, but adult athletes also face safeguarding risks due to power imbalances, career dependency and institutional pressure.

A strong safeguarding system protects athletes, but it also protects sports organizations. It reduces legal liability, strengthens trust, improves performance environments and supports the integrity of sport. The most effective organizations are those that treat safeguarding not as a reaction to scandal, but as a permanent part of sports governance.

In modern sports law, athlete protection is not separate from sporting success. Safe athletes, safe teams and safe institutions are the foundation of fair and sustainable sport.