Our Safe Sport Principles
Our Safe Sport International Principles set out a truly global framework for safe sport.
The International Safe Sport Principles
Safe Sport International has established International Safe Sport Principles encompassing 12 critical areas to uphold the SSI vision of ensuring safety in sport for everyone, everywhere.
Launched at SafeSport26, the refreshed and expanded principles are an evolution from the 2014 Safe Sport International Declaration and Principles, the first global framework for safe sport.
- Safe Sport is Everyone’s Responsibility
Safe sport should be upheld across all areas of sport, including within teams, clubs, organisations, communities and events. Everyone has a role to play, but responsibility is not equal: those who lead, govern, employ and organise sport should take particular care to prevent harm and protect rights. Success, reputation or financial gain never justify violence, harassment, abuse or exploitation. Safe, respectful and equitable participation should be actively protected and promoted.
- Adoption and Implementation of the International Safeguards in Sport
All sport organisations should align with the International Safeguards in Sport and demonstrate that the safeguards are implemented, monitored and effective for children and adults in sport and esports. As a minimum, every organisation should have:
- A clear safeguarding policy applying to all people, all environments and all activities that is actively endorsed by leadership and governed by the organisation.
- Systems, procedures and staff to recognise and respond to concerns with accessible trauma-informed steps and guidelines for escalation to relevant authorities.
- Advice and support that is accessible and age-appropriate so people know how they can safeguard themselves and others and who to turn to for help in and out of sport.
- Safeguarding risk management to identify needs, assess risks and put plans in place to minimise risks in activities, events, physical and digital environments.
- Guidelines on behaviour that explain expected and prohibited behaviour, online and offline, address power differences, and uphold good practice.
- Safer recruitment and training, including appropriate background checks, ongoing learning for staff, coaches, and volunteers, and clear communication of roles and responsibilities.
- Partnership working to share learning and promote the adoption and implementation of safeguarding measures in their work and in joint projects.
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning from the experiences of individuals, identifying patterns of risk and where safeguarding can be improved.
- Evidence‑Based Safeguarding and Implementation
Safeguarding processes, education, and interventions should be based on current knowledge and evidence and improved through implementation science to ensure they work in different contexts.
- Safe Reporting and Fair Case Management
Everyone should have options for how to raise concerns safely and in confidence, including through independent options. Cases should be managed by competent multi-disciplinary teams, using transparent, person-centred, appropriately independent, trauma‑ and violence‑informed processes.
- Athlete and Participant Voice, Representation and Co‑Design
Athletes of all ages, individuals with lived experience of interpersonal violence in sport, and others who participate in and shape sport should be actively involved in the design, governance, delivery and improvement of safeguarding systems and procedures at all levels of sport.
- Care and Healthy Relationships
Sport environments should nurture respectful, caring, and ethical relationships between athletes, coaches, officials, staff, families, entourages, and peers. Strong, balanced relationships should be valued as essential to preventing harm, supporting wellbeing, and enabling positive environments and experiences.
- Inclusive and Equitable
Safeguarding systems should recognise individual, interpersonal, organisational and societal risks over time and across sport environments. Clubs and organisations should actively promote inclusion and equity by addressing inequality linked to gender, age, disability, race, identity, social and economic disadvantage, conflict, displacement and other structural conditions that increase vulnerability to harm.
- Safe Performance and Work Environments
Performance programmes, talent pathways and professional contracts should be designed and reviewed to ensure training loads, expectations and coaching methods support physical, mental and emotional wellbeing along with sustainable performance. Safe sport and sporting excellence should strengthen each other.
- Digital, Data and Technology Safety
Digital tools and technologies (e.g., social media, streaming, messaging, wearables, data systems and AI) should be used in safe, ethical and responsible ways. Clear procedures and guidance should be in place to protect rights, dignity, privacy, personal boundaries and fairness, and to prevent technology-facilitated abuse.
- Safe Events and Host Environments
Safeguarding should be built into planning, delivery and legacy of sporting events, from local competitions to major multi‑sport events. This should include areas such as temporary workforce, volunteers, venues, support services, accommodation, transport, fan interactions, community engagement, and online environments.
- Governance, Regulation and External Accountability
Safe sport requirements should be built into constitutions, leadership, regulations, licensing, recognition, funding and hosting decisions. Clear mechanisms for external oversight, inspection and escalation should exist beyond any single organisation.
- Resourcing and Innovation
Safe sport practice and research should be properly resourced everywhere. Sport bodies, governments, funders, researchers, survivor- and athlete-led groups along with specialist agencies should work together to innovate, share learning, and support global progress.
The 2026 International Safe Sport Principles were built from the 2014 Safe Sport International Declaration and Principles.
They capture 12 key areas for advancing safe sport worldwide and provide a shared foundation for action across all levels of sport. They set out clear expectations for leadership, safeguarding systems, reporting and case management, athlete and survivor voice, inclusion, safe relationships, digital safety, event planning, governance, accountability, resourcing and innovation.
Together, the principles support sport organisations, governments, funders, researchers, practitioners, athletes, survivors and communities to move from commitment to implementation.
