Player Safety

What PLAYERIN is responsible for

• Operating the booking platform — keeping it secure, available, and processing payments through Stripe.
• Storing and protecting your account data in line with our Privacy Policy.
• Providing tools to organisers (team managers and club admins) so they can manage their events and players.
• Removing organisers, accounts or events from the platform if they are reported to us and found to be in breach of our Terms.

What PLAYERIN is NOT responsible for

• The identity, background, character or qualifications of any team manager, club admin or coach using the platform. We do not perform DBS checks, vetting, accreditation checks or background checks on any organiser. Anyone can sign up to PLAYERIN and create an event.
• The safety, suitability or supervision of any event. Events are run independently by the organiser at venues PLAYERIN has no relationship with.
• Safeguarding at any event involving children or vulnerable adults. Safeguarding is the legal responsibility of the organiser.
• Any injury, loss, abuse, harassment, theft, or other harm caused before, during or after an event, whether by an organiser, another player, a venue, or any third party.
• The accuracy of information published by an organiser about an event, including venue, time, age suitability, or what is or is not provided.
• Disputes between players and organisers, including refund disputes for manual payments.

PLAYERIN is a software platform — much like a calendar or messaging app. Listing on PLAYERIN is not an endorsement, certification, or recommendation of any organiser.

Before you book — what to check

You should treat booking onto an event with an unfamiliar organiser the same way you'd treat any other arrangement with someone you don't know. We strongly recommend the following before confirming a booking:

• Look up the organiser independently. Search their team or club name online. Check whether they have a website, a social presence, and reviews from other players. A trusted organiser should be findable outside PLAYERIN.
• Confirm who is actually running the event in person. Ask for the name of the coach or session lead and check it against any information they've published.
• Check the venue exists and is appropriate. Look it up on a map. For a sports facility, confirm it's a real, publicly accessible site. Avoid events at private addresses unless you already know the organiser.
• Ask whoever you know who already plays. A genuine team or club will have other players you can speak to. Ask one of them if it's legitimate.
• Be cautious of requests for unusual payment methods outside the platform — bank transfers to personal accounts, cash up front, gift cards, etc. Stick to PLAYERIN-processed card payments where possible.
• Read the event description carefully — age group, skill level, what to bring, what's included, and whether parents are expected to stay.

If you're booking children onto an event

Booking a child onto a PLAYERIN event is a parental responsibility. By using PLAYERIN to book on behalf of a child you confirm that you are the child's parent or legal guardian, and you accept the following:

• You are responsible for verifying the safety, suitability and legitimacy of any event you book your child onto. PLAYERIN does not vet organisers or coaches and offers no warranty about their character or background.
• You are responsible for satisfying yourself that the organiser has appropriate safeguarding procedures in place — including, where applicable, DBS checks, qualified coaches, first-aid cover, and a clear policy for under-18s. Ask the organiser directly. A legitimate youth organisation will be willing and able to evidence this.
• You are responsible for supervising your child's arrival, attendance and departure. Do not leave children at events unless you have explicitly arranged supervision with the organiser and you trust them to provide it. Even then, decide what is appropriate based on your child's age and the setting.
• Brief your child on basic safety before they attend a new event — who is running it, where to find you (or a trusted adult) if they need help, what to do if they feel uncomfortable, and how to reach you.
• Stop attending events that don't feel right. If anything about an organiser, coach, venue or interaction concerns you, withdraw your child from future events and report it (see below).

PLAYERIN provides the booking and reminder infrastructure. Everything else — choosing the event, deciding it's safe and suitable, supervising your child — is on you, the parent or guardian.

At the event

• Arrive a few minutes early so you have time to find the organiser and confirm the setup matches what was advertised.
• Make sure you know who the session lead is and how to reach them on the day.
• If you're a parent dropping a child off, make sure the supervising adult knows your name, your child's name and your contact number — and that you have theirs.
• Bring or check that the organiser has provided basic first-aid cover. For physical sports involving children, this should not be optional.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong — the venue isn't what was described, the supervising adults seem unprepared, the activity isn't age-appropriate — leave. You don't need permission.

Reporting concerns

If you believe a PLAYERIN organiser, account or event is unsafe, abusive, fraudulent, or has put a child or vulnerable person at risk, please tell us as soon as you can:

• Email info@playerin.games with the team name, event name, date, and as much detail as you're willing to share.
• We will review the report and, where appropriate, suspend or remove the account from PLAYERIN. We may also share information with the relevant authorities where we are legally required or believe it is necessary.
• If a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999 first. Reporting to PLAYERIN is not a substitute for contacting the authorities.

In the UK you can also contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice about a safeguarding concern involving a child.

Quick checklist

Final word

We built PLAYERIN to make grassroots sport easier to organise and join. The vast majority of teams and clubs on the platform are genuine and brilliant. The guidance on this page exists because PLAYERIN cannot, and does not, replace the judgement of the parent, guardian or adult player choosing to attend an event. Your safety is ultimately your own.

Questions

For anything else, contact us at info@playerin.games. See also our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.