This weekend, English football will once again come together to champion safeguarding across the game as part of the Play Safe Weekend, taking place on 27th and 28th September.
The FA Play Safe campaign is endorsed by the NSPCC and will be supported this weekend at Wolves’ fixture with Tottenham Hotspur and across every level of English football, including the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays WSL2, National League and across the grassroots game.
This year’s theme – ‘Small Talk is Bigger Than You Think’ – focuses on giving young people a voice. It’s a call to action for every adult in football to create open conversations, ask questions, and actively listen to children.
To raise visibility of the 2025 campaign, England Football has produced a video which highlights the importance of remaining alert and aware of small changes that can go unnoticed.
The campaign film appears at first to be a studio recording of a new podcast entitled ‘Eyes on the Ball’, which features former Premier League player Anton Ferdinand and Sky Sports’ Joe Thomlinson in conversation. The film then goes on to reveal the podcast to be not all as it seems, carrying with it a powerful message on the importance of observation.
The Play Safe Weekend encourages clubs and leagues to play their part in making the game safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone, everywhere, every time.
Parents and carers are also being encouraged to get involved by completing The FA’s online safeguarding awareness training. It’s free and takes just 25 minutes to complete.
New this year is Bib Voting – a simple, non-verbal activity designed to help children share feedback and build confidence. This is the first of a series of Play Safe Activity Cards designed specifically for coaches working with players aged 5–11 and 12–16, providing step by step guidance on ways to give children and young people a voice as Small Talk Is Bigger Than You Think.
Sue Ravenlaw, the FA’s head of safeguarding, said: “Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and this year’s FA Play Safe campaign is all about encouraging adults in football to actively listen to children — to notice the small things, ask questions, and create a safe space for open conversations.
“We want every club, league and individual involved in the game to feel confident in their role and proud of the part they play in keeping football safe, fun and inclusive for all. We’re excited to see the football community come together once again to show their support and commitment across our Play Safe weekend and beyond.
“We also hope to see many more parents and carers completing our free online awareness training, which is designed to provide greater insight into this important area of our game.”
Read more about Play Safe 2025 by clicking here.
