<p class="reg-lead">The Safeguarding Policy of the International Handball Federation, in force from 27 July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>27 July 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter XXX of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — the most recently added chapter of the compendium</td></tr>
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<h2>What this policy governs</h2>
<p>With this document the International Handball Federation has committed itself to providing a safe environment in which everyone can train and compete with respect, with equality and <strong>free from every form of harassment and abuse</strong>. The Safeguarding Policy rests on Article 1.4 of the IOC Code of Ethics and Article 5 of the IHF Ethics Code — the provision that makes safeguarding the dignity of the individual a fundamental requirement of the world federation.</p><p><em>This chapter has not yet been entered in the list of regulations annexed to the Statutes, which runs to Chapter XXIX; the document itself bears the number XXX.</em></p>
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<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">A non-exhaustive list of prohibited conduct</b>Article 5 enumerates the prohibited forms of conduct and makes clear that the list is not exhaustive: harassment and abuse (including bullying, neglect and psychological or physical violence), any crime or breach of law that raises a safeguarding concern, any form of coercion that results in abuse, and breaches of this Policy or of the Code of Conduct in Annex 1.</li>
<li><b class="t">Failure to report is itself a violation</b><strong>Failing to report a safeguarding concern, suspicion or allegation appears in the list of prohibited conduct.</strong> Knowingly making a false or misleading report, abusing the process and breaching confidentiality are likewise treated as violations.</li>
<li><b class="t">The duty to report where children are concerned</b>Where the concern relates to a <strong>player under 18</strong>, anyone who becomes aware of a possible violation, or reasonably suspects one, <strong>is obliged to report it</strong>. For an adult player, the player's own consent must in principle be obtained, unless there is reasonable cause to believe that danger is imminent or that the conduct may amount to a crime.</li>
<li><b class="t">Protection of the reporter</b>Anyone who reports in good faith <strong>must not be exposed to retaliation</strong>; the world federation has made a confidential reporting system available.</li>
<li><b class="t">Reporting channels</b>An online form on the IHF website and social media that <strong>allows anonymous reporting</strong>, a dedicated safeguarding e-mail address, and approaching in person the Safeguarding Officer or — in that officer's absence at an event — a trained "contact point".</li>
<li><b class="t">The Safeguarding Officer and the working group</b>All reports reach the IHF Safeguarding Officer, who assesses them together with the Safeguarding Working Group. Article 9 also makes training mandatory, and National Federations and Continental Confederations have their own obligations under Article 4.</li>
<li><b class="t">Precise definitions</b>Article 2 defines terms such as <strong>hazing</strong> (humiliating and dangerous initiation rituals for new members of a team), interpersonal violence and neglect — definitions that make the scope of the Policy clear.</li>
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<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For National Federations and clubs, two points carry direct legal weight: the duty to report where players under 18 are concerned, the omission of which is itself a violation, and the requirement to have a safeguarding policy and code of conduct in place at national level. Proceedings for violations run through the Ethics Commission, and the IHF Ethics Code, in its edition of 21 December 2025, has entrusted the route of appeal to the International Handball Court of Arbitration.</p>
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IHF Safeguarding Policy 2026

<p class="reg-lead">FIBA Safeguarding Policy, in force from 2 December 2022.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>2 December 2022</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>13 pages</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
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<h2>What this policy governs</h2>
<p>The document is founded on the <strong>International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement on Harassment and Abuse (Non-Accidental Violence) in Sport</strong> of 2016. That statement records that the risk of accidental injury in sport is recognised, whereas the adverse effect of <strong>non-accidental violence</strong> on athlete health has received less attention, while all forms of harassment and abuse breach human rights and may constitute criminal offences — and that sport organisers therefore bear a <strong>legal and ethical duty of care</strong>.</p>
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<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Zero-tolerance policy</b>In this document FIBA declares a position of <strong>zero tolerance</strong> towards any form of harassment, discrimination or abuse.</li>
<li><b class="t">Scope of application</b>The policy's aim is that basketball be a safe and positive experience for everyone involved, <strong>regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and social origin, religion, and level of ability or disability</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Duty of care as a legal basis</b>The text treats the responsibility as not merely ethical but <strong>legal</strong> — a point of direct significance in liability claims against an organiser or a club.</li>
<li><b class="t">Equality and diversity</b>The document places equality and diversity at the centre of FIBA's values and counts the prohibition of discrimination as part of safeguarding, not as a separate matter.</li>
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<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For national federations and clubs, this policy is the benchmark for assessing the adequacy of preventive measures. In harassment and abuse cases, the absence of reporting and follow-up mechanisms at national level may itself become a subject of assessment.</p>
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Notes related to the tag safeguarding

IHF Safeguarding Policy 2026

FIBA Safeguarding Policy 2022