Every player in this league is a child. Their safety comes before the competition, before the sponsorship, and before any individual's convenience — including our own.
Our commitment
The League is committed to the rights of children under the Children's Act 38 of 2005 and the Constitution. Every child has the right to take part in football safely, to be treated with dignity, and to be protected from harm, abuse, neglect, discrimination and exploitation.
Who is allowed near the children
No adult holds a coaching, managing, officiating or administrative role in this league until they have completed and cleared:
- a South African Police Service clearance certificate; and
- a check against the National Child Protection Register (Form 29 / Form 30) under the Children's Act.
These are recorded with their expiry dates, and access is withdrawn automatically when a check lapses. This is enforced by the platform, not by memory: an official whose vetting is not cleared cannot be attached to a team at all.
How adults communicate with children
- There is no private messaging between adult officials and player accounts. Communication goes to the parent or guardian.
- Coaches and officials do not contact players through personal social media, personal phone numbers or private groups.
- Adults do not transport a child alone, and are not alone with a child in a changing room or vehicle.
Photography and video
- A player only appears in a published photograph or video if their parent has given consent for that specific purpose. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
- Where a player has no consent recorded, they are treated as not consented. The platform blocks publication of any image tagged with them.
- Published images are never captioned with a child's school, home area or contact details.
Scouting
Professional clubs are invited to scout this league, and that is a genuine opportunity for these children. It is also a risk, so it is controlled. Scouts must be accredited by the League and verified as authorised by their club. Accredited scouts see anonymised performance data. Any approach to a player goes through the League and requires fresh parental consent. No unaccredited adult may attend a matchday in a scouting capacity.
Raising a concern
If you are worried about a child's safety — whether you are a parent, a player, a coach, a referee or a bystander — tell us. You do not need proof, and you do not need to be certain. It is our job to look into it.
- Write to our Designated Safeguarding Officer at league@ecdl.co.za, marked for their attention.
- Registered parents can also raise a concern privately through their portal, which reaches the Safeguarding Officer directly.
- If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 10111, or the national Childline South Africa helpline on 116, which is free and available at any hour.
Concerns are taken seriously, recorded, and acted on. Where there is a reasonable suspicion that a child has been abused or deliberately neglected, we are required by the Children's Act to report it to the relevant authorities, and we will.
Code of conduct
Coaches, officials, parents and players are each asked to accept a code of conduct on registration. Abuse of a child, of a match official, or of another participant — in person or online — results in removal from the league.
See also our privacy policy and terms of use.