Coaching Safely

• Keep training visible and accessible. Avoid one-on-one situations no other adult or athlete can see.
• Never be alone with an athlete before or after practice or a game.
• No interactions in locker rooms or changing areas without a second adult present.
• Parents and guardians are not permitted in locker rooms beyond the U10 division.
• Take photos and video only in public view. No recording devices where people expect privacy.

• Never drive alone with an athlete (parents and guardians excepted).
• Teams always travel with at least two Persons in Authority.
• Never share a hotel room or be alone with an athlete. Room and bed checks are done by two adults.
• Don’t host athletes at your home without written parent permission or the parent’s knowledge.

• Hold one-on-one conversations where another adult or athlete can see you.
• Avoid private spaces that no one else can observe.
• If you need to step away with an athlete for a while, tell another adult where you are.
• Keep parents informed, especially for athletes under 18.

The Rule of Two applies to messaging:

• No one-on-one messages between a coach and an athlete, on any platform.
• Every message to an athlete includes a second adult. For athletes under 18, that means a parent or guardian.
• Use team or group chats that include at least two adults, with parents of minor athletes added.
• If you need to reach one athlete, message them with their parent or guardian included, or message the parent directly.

Every message:

• About team matters only, in a professional tone.
• Sent between 6 am and midnight unless there is a real reason not to.
• Parents may ask that their child not be contacted electronically. Respect that.
• Never ask an athlete to keep a secret. No talk of drugs or alcohol except that they are prohibited. No sexual content in any form.

• Two screened adults on every session: two coaches, or one coach and one screened adult. No one-on-one sessions.
• For athletes under 16, a parent or guardian attends where possible.
• Tell parents what the session will cover, and get their consent before the first session.
• Athletes join from an open, observable space at home, never a bedroom. Coaches do the same.
• Record sessions where the platform allows.
• Keep it focused on training. Virtual sessions are not social events.
• Rule of Two in a virtual setting (CAC) ↗

• Don’t connect with or message athletes on personal social media, including sharing memes or non-training videos (CAC best practice).
• Use official team accounts for team news.
• Take photos and video only in public view, and to accepted standards of decency.
• No recording devices where people expect privacy, like locker rooms and washrooms.
• Delete or don’t post images with misplaced clothing, suggestive poses or anything embarrassing.

Football Canada’s Safe Contact 2.0 teaches how to coach contact to minimize injury risk.

• Covers preparation for contact, tackling, blocking, block defending and ball carrying
• Required for contact coaches, with a refresher every five years. New coaches get a one-year grace period.
• Safe Contact (Football Canada) ↗
• Book a Safe Contact course →

• Lightning: if you can hear thunder, stop play and take shelter. Resume no less than 30 minutes after the last rumble.
• Heat: under an Environment Canada heat advisory (30°C or Humidex 40+), avoid 11 am to 3 pm. At 31–39.9°C, add water and shade breaks.
• Air quality: AQHI 7 or higher means outdoor football is cancelled or rescheduled.
• Wind: delay play in winds of 60–65 km/h or more, or gusts of 90 km/h.
• Tornado watch or warning: postpone, or stop play and take cover.
• The official or designated authority makes the final call.
• Football Ontario Severe Weather Policy ↗

• Check helmets and pads fit properly and are in good condition before athletes take the field.
• Walk the field for holes, debris and hazards before every session.
• Equipment Manager’s Handbook (Football Canada, 2025) ↗
• Equipment Manager roles and responsibilities ↗
• Field of Play Inspection Guidelines (Ontario) ↗