Child safeguarding in sports and its practical application

An internal child safeguarding system is much more than a set of documents on paper. To guarantee truly safe environments, it must represent a genuine transformation of organizational culture. This was one of the main conclusions drawn from the seminar “Sports and Law for the Future: Ethics, Values, and Positive Impact,” organized on September 3, 2026, in Barcelona by Sports Law Hub in collaboration with Indescat.

During the event, F. Javier Romeo-Biedma, psychologist and child safeguarding expert, addressed the key strategies for adapting sports entities to the current legal framework. His presentation was grounded in his extensive experience advising various organizations in this field, including Football Club Barcelona and the Barça Foundation during the implementation of its own Child Safeguarding System.

Taking his presentation as an academic foundation, Sports Law Hub examines the regulatory framework of LOPIVI and the core pillars required to build an effective internal system, detailing the 12 measures that constitute a benchmark organizational model in the sports sector.

The regulatory framework of LOPIVI

Organic Law 8/2021, of June 4, on the Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against Violence (LOPIVI) – Ley Orgánica 8/2021, de 4 de junio, de protección integral a la infancia y la adolescencia frente a la violencia (LOPIVI) – marks a turning point in the Spanish legal system. Article 1 sets out the objective of guaranteeing the fundamental rights of children and young people to physical, psychological, and moral integrity, mandating comprehensive measures for prevention, early detection, and protection.

Furthermore, Article 3.m of LOPIVI defines the concept of safe environments, urging all organizations working with minors to deploy the necessary protocols and mechanisms to foster protective settings across physical, psychological, social, and digital domains.

In this context, it is fundamental to distinguish between the official Child Protection System (comprising public administrations, Social Services, Law Enforcement Agencies, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the judicial system) and internal Child Safeguarding Systems, which are configured by organizations themselves (sports clubs, schools, cultural or leisure centers) to establish safe environments.

According to F. Javier Romeo-Biedma, establishing clear terminology for these two levels is not merely semantic; it is essential to prevent a very common mistake: a sports entity attempting to handle everything internally and considering itself equipped to address a child protection case in isolation. An internal safeguarding system must integrate clear mechanisms within its structure for referral, collaboration, and coordination with official public authorities.

FC Barcelona as an example: 12 safeguarding measures

Translating these legal requirements into the daily reality of a sports organization requires concrete tools. A prime example of bringing this theory into practice is Football Club Barcelona and the Barça Foundation’s model, which structures its internal system around 12 key measures in line with international standards:

1. A cross-cutting Child Safeguarding Policy applicable across all operational environments.
2. Clear mapping of safeguarding roles and responsibilities (including designated Child Safeguarding Officers) for every professional profile.
3. A binding Code of Conduct for professionals and staff members in contact with minors.
4. Risk mapping and protective measures as a mandatory step prior to planning any activity.
5. An action protocol for suspected or evident rights violations.
6. Connection with and knowledge of official child protection referral pathways for inter-institutional coordination.
7. Recruiting and employment standards that incorporate specific safeguarding criteria.
8. A continuous training framework for contracted staff and volunteers.
9. Prevention and awareness-raising activities aimed directly at minors, families, and legal guardians.
10. Allocation of sufficient human and financial resources to implement these measures.
11. Regular evaluation and updates of all safeguarding documents, tools, and procedures.
12. Transparency and accountability toward families, minors, and society.

It is worth noting that, alongside these twelve core components of the system, FC Barcelona’s model includes a third-party compliance clause requiring suppliers and partner organizations to maintain equivalent safeguarding standards. Rather than being an internal structural element in itself, this clause acts as a practical enforcement measure to ensure the effective implementation of the system across all environments and activities connected to the club.

Key pillars for system implementation

Three central pillars highlighted during the seminar with F. Javier Romeo-Biedma should be kept in mind by any sports organization:

The Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct not only outlines mandatory and prohibited behaviors when interacting with minors, but also serves as a protective framework for professionals themselves. Following clear guidelines drastically reduces situations of ambiguity or operational risk for organizational staff.

Qualified Duty to Report

Article 16.2 of LOPIVI mandates that any professional who becomes aware of or detects signs of potential violence against a minor has the duty to report it immediately to competent social services or, if the minor’s health or safety is threatened, to Law Enforcement Agencies or the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Principle of “Do No Harm”

One of the most frequent errors in organizations is the temptation to conduct internal investigations. However, the role of a sports entity must be strictly limited to:

• Do not interrogate: Record the direct account of the child or adolescent verbatim and in writing, avoiding re-traumatization.
• Do not investigate: Gather visible information, indicators, and circumstances without conducting independent inquiries.
• Do not determine legal classifications: The entity does not decide whether an incident constitutes a crime. Its role is to forward all information to the competent authorities and cooperate fully with them.

Future outlook and acknowledgments

Building a safe environment in sports requires going beyond administrative formalities or drafting mere paper protocols. It demands genuine commitment from executive leadership, adequate resourcing for teams, and a culture of continuous learning that enables organizations to act with rigor and transparency.

From Sports Law Hub, we express our sincere gratitude to F. Javier Romeo-Biedma for his generosity in sharing his expertise during the September seminar with Indescat and for providing his presentation materials as a foundation for this analysis.

To explore the legal implications, transfers, and contractual regulations impacting young talents in elite football, we invite you to read our analysis on youth player protection in professional football.

Note: This article reflects our own analysis regarding the protective framework in sports law and has been previously reviewed by F. Javier Romeo-Biedma to ensure conceptual accuracy.