From 1 October 2026, professional sports organisations across the UK face significant new legal exposure under sweeping changes to employment law.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces third-party harassment provisions that place a direct obligation on employers to prevent abuse directed at their staff.
Sports clubs, governing bodies, stadium operators and event organisers are all captured within the scope of the new legislation.
Under the law, employers may be held liable for harassment committed by third parties, including supporters, spectators and online audiences, unless they can prove they took “all reasonable steps” to prevent it.
The reforms move sports-related abuse from a predominantly welfare and reputational concern into the realm of employment law, with potentially serious legal and financial consequences for organisations that fail to act.
Sports organisations face no shortage of examples illustrating the severity of the problem their employees encounter on a regular basis.
England footballers Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho received racist abuse following Euro 2020, while Lionesses defender Jess Carter has spoken publicly about abuse she received during Women’s Euro 2025.
Rugby union’s governing body, the RFU, increased sanctions for abuse of match officials after a survey found that almost half, 49 per cent, of referees had experienced abuse, raising serious concerns about retaining officials within the game.
Cricket has faced comparable difficulties, with the Cricket Regulator reporting more than 200 reports of abusive messages in a single year, many of them targeting female cricketers and linked to individuals who had lost money betting on the women’s game.
Critically, the new provisions are not limited to elite athletes, extending protection to the entire workforce that supports professional sport, including stewards, hospitality workers and other venue staff.
Organisations could therefore face legal scrutiny not only where a player is abused, but wherever any employee experiences harassing or discriminatory conduct from supporters or visitors.
Legal experts advise that what constitutes “all reasonable steps” will vary by organisation, but the issue should be considered at board level with a clear commitment to anti-discrimination culture from the top down.
Risk assessments should be undertaken to identify where harassment may arise, covering matchdays, hospitality settings and online channels, and used to shape appropriate preventative measures.
Practical steps include reviewing ticketing terms and codes of conduct, strengthening incident reporting procedures and ensuring stewards and security personnel are adequately trained to respond when incidents occur.
Clubs must also ensure that abusive or discriminatory content directed at players, coaches and employees across social media and other digital platforms is actively monitored and addressed as part of their safeguarding obligations.
Workplace risks extend well beyond the stadium itself, with media appearances, community engagement activities and other public-facing duties all forming part of the risk environment organisations are now legally expected to manage.
Ultimately, clubs and governing bodies will need to demonstrate not only how they respond to incidents, but also what proactive measures they have embedded to stop harassment from occurring in the first place.