Risk Assessment for Tournaments
Type 2: Tournaments and Festivals Assessment
Name of Tournament/Festival……………………………………………………………………………………..
The organising Association should complete a Risk Assessment for the venue prior to the event and this should be shared with each participant Association/team prior to the event. This Risk Assessment can be updated as required but should be reviewed on an annual basis. All teams participating in the Festival/Tournament should be sent a copy of the Risk Assessment Form
You will need to keep a copy of this RA for your own organisation’s records and this should be made available on request.
Some factors will need to be checked on the day – for example, the condition of the pitch – in comparison to what was anticipated. Please use this form to update your RA on the day.
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Organisation |
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Date of Event |
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Age Group(s) of Festival//Tournament |
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Venue address
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Name of venue
Address |
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GPS co-ordinates/postcode |
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Lead Organisation contact |
Name
Phone
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Designated Welfare Officer contact, as shared with parents and players |
Name
Phone
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Event lead for your Association (emergency contact on the day for visiting teams) |
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Nearest Hospital for emergencies NB, in the event that you need to use an ambulance, please check as they may not go to the nearest A&E |
Name
Address and postcode |
Policy checklist
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Please ensure you have the following in place (they can be downloaded from ESFA website) |
Attached to this Risk Assessment |
Checked and agreed by |
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Safeguarding Children
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Social Media/Photography |
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Anti-bullying |
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Consent for photography and filming for each player signed |
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Codes of Conduct signed by players, coaching staff and parents/carers. |
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Changing & Showering Policy |
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Travel, Trips & Events Guidance |
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The FA has produced some useful guidance on running festivals and tournaments which can be downloaded here:
The following guidance is not an exhaustive list and you should meet with your committee to plan and assess any event-specific risks. If you need any advice or support, please contact ESFA National Welfare officers Sarah DaCosta sarah.dacosta@schoolsfa.com or Martin Duffield martin.duffield@schoolsfa.com
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Consideration |
ESFA comments |
Association actions/comments |
Risk Assessment completed |
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Consent (As a guide all under-16s must provide parental/legal carers consent, Over 16s may self-consent for certain levels of activity at the discretion of the Association/The FA. |
Please ensure all participating teams are reminded that they must have written consent for all players to take part in activities, including parent/carer contact details and medical information forms. |
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Staffing ratios |
There must always be a minimum of 2 staff members present. Consideration must be made to the age of players, location of changing rooms and toilets. Where there are children with a disability or additional needs, you will require additional staff Follow the guidance note 5.5, found here: Any U18s who are helping with coaching/refereeing are counted as children in the staffing ratios. . Participating teams should be reminded of this and be responsible for their own players during the event |
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Staff DBS checks |
All Association staff members working with children in district or county teams must have had an FA DBS within the last 3 years* and be approved on the ESFA affiliation portal – remind participating teams. Volunteers who are helping at a one-off event will probably not meet the frequency threshold for an FA DBS but please ask ESFA Welfare officers if you are not sure.
* there are some exemptions for 20/21 only, arising from the corona virus pandemic: please check with your NCWO if unsure |
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Consideration |
ESFA comments |
Association actions/comments |
Risk Assessment completed |
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Staff safeguarding education
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All Association staff members must have regular safeguarding training. Practicing school teachers should have annual training through their LEA/school everyone else (AOTTs and retired teachers) must have FA safeguarding training, which must be updated every 3 years and approved on the ESFA affiliation portal -participating teams to be reminded of this requirement. Volunteers who are helping on the day do not need to complete formal training, however they must be given a safeguarding briefing before the event and sign a code of conduct. |
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Suitability of changing facilities |
Consider your changing facilities. Do you have separate changing for match officials and each team? Are they lockable? Who has access? Adults should not enter changing rooms while children are changing or showering (please look at the ESFA changing and showering policy on the website) and separate facilities must be available for male/female players. Let all the participating teams know about the changing facilities you have available for them and any issues which they need to be aware of (will they be able to lock the changing rooms?)
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Check on the day |
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Consideration |
ESFA comments |
Association actions/comments |
Risk Assessment completed |
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Relevant insurance is in place |
Your insurance through ESFA affiliation will cover your participation but ensure that you have checked the venue insurance with the owner for public liability. Visiting teams are responsible for their own personal accident insurance. Please refer to separate ESFA guidance on insurance |
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Drop off and pick up arrangements
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Participating teams are responsible for their own travel arrangements – Are parking facilities at the venue suitable for coaches/mini-buses/private cars – Ensure that stewards are allocated to oversee the parking area
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Check on the day |
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Playing area (Goal posts, surface, pitch markings, RESPECT barriers |
Who is responsible for ensuring the playing area is suitable and clear of damage/glass/mess? Make sure the goalposts are checked, pitches are correctly marked and Respect barriers in place if possible. If goal posts need to be moved -ensure that this is only done by an adequate number of adults and not players
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Check on the day |
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Parking at venue |
Is parking available to visiting teams? How many spaces are available and is there any overflow parking? Provide details of the parking for visiting teams and any costs. Are there spaces for minibuses and coaches?
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Consideration |
ESFA comments |
Association actions/comments |
Risk Assessment completed |
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Format of event/Programme of matches |
Provide details of the format of the tournament to all opposition teams, including rules and ensure you have a sanction number from ESFA for the event. Ensure you have a point of contact desk for team registration and submitting/collating scores and dealing with any enquiries on the day. Do you have enough whistles and scorecards? Do you have spare bibs in case of kit clashes? |
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Hospitality, photographers and public toilet facilities |
Will you have refreshments? Consider dietary requirements. All players will need access to water and food- is this available to buy at the event or will teams need to provide their own refreshments? Will there be an official event photographer? They will need guidance on consent and type of photography. You will also need to ensure all teams have given consent for photographs- where will they be published? Players and match officials should have access to toilet facilities and these should not be public toilets if possible. You need to assess the risks and let opposition teams know what facilities are available.
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First Aid
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The event must have a designated First Aider with an in-date qualification and an appropriate First Aid kit. The number of First Aiders should be pro-rata to the number of participating teams Ideally, a coach or manager should have an in-date FA Emergency Aid certificate. Please record here your designated First Aider(s) contact details
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Consideration |
ESFA comments |
Association actions/comments |
Risk Assessment completed |
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Medical |
Teams are responsible for ensuring they have details of any relevant medical conditions or requirements for each player. This information must be stored securely and shared with coaching staff where appropriate. Medication is the responsibility of players and parents and should not be administered by coaching staff with out written agreement of parent(s) /guardian(s) Actions plans must be in place for any players with additional needs. |
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Under 18s in regulated activity. |
Many match officials used by Associations in these festivals/tournaments are U18 and therefore children. Please pay particular attention to safeguarding young match officials and ensure they have adequate facilities for changing and are provided with contact details of the Welfare Officer for your Association and who they need to report incidents to during the tournament. They must also be given regular breaks during a tournament so ensure you have enough referees to facilitate this. You must also ensure you have emergency contact details for each match official. Please ensure all match officials are registered with the local County FA. A member of staff should be allocated to oversight of the match officials All personnel over the age of 16 must be registered with the ESFA if they are involved in regulated activity
Young leaders and volunteers are permitted to be involved in events without DBS clearance subject to that involvement not constituting regulated activity and subject to their supervision |
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Consideration |
ESFA comments |
Association actions/comments |
Risk Assessment completed |
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Incidents and disciplinary reporting |
All serious safeguarding incidents must be reported to the Tournament/Festival Designated WO and passed to ESFA National Welfare Officers within 24 hours. Any allegations of poor practice and discipline should be referred to ESFA as soon as possible for investigation. |
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