Public Health England is supported by The FA as well as other governing bodies and has key messages to ensure sensible measures are carried out for good hygiene in sport and physical activity. 

 Good hygiene practice, by both organisations and individuals, helps ensure that everybody involved in sport and physical activity stays fit and well enough to keep up the activities they love and get the most enjoyment out of taking part, be it through participating, coaching or officiating.

Likewise, good hygiene is of equal importance for everybody involved in maintaining and working on football & 3G pitches and other sports facilities.

The guide has been developed to help organisations implement good hygiene across their establishments simply and effectively, no matter the activity, sport or venue and the three main messages are:

Cleaning and covering wounds
• It is important that any cuts or abrasions that occur are cleaned and covered at the earliest time possible, to prevent entry of debris or dirt that can cause infection.
• Keep your first aid kit easily accessible and stocked with a good supply of plasters to ensure a speedy response when a wound occurs during activity

Washing hands and showering 
• Hand washing and showering after physical activity is crucial for good hygiene – please encourage all those taking part to do so
• People are less likely to wash their hands if the only running water available is cold, so make sure antibacterial hand soap and warm water are easily accessible to anybody taking part in physical activity
• ‘Topping up’ soap dispensers can harbour bacteria, so wait until a soap dispenser is empty to refill it
• In instances where hot and cold water is not available, hand sanitisers should be used as an alternative
• Provide disposable towels rather than multi-use where possible

Keeping kit and equipment clean
• Encourage people to remove any loose material (e.g. sand, turf, rubber-crumb, clay) from shoes, clothes, and equipment before entering changing rooms and buildings after taking part in physical activity outdoors
• Make sure that any equipment provided as part of your activities is regularly cleaned with the appropriate products
• Ensure that any shared kit provided by the venue or organisation is washed thoroughly after each use
• Regularly clean changing rooms and showers, and display a cleaning schedule in a public area

The Good hygiene for sport and physical activity guide can be downloaded below.

The guidance and advice in this document has been developed in conjunction with Public Health England, the National Centre for Sport & Exercise Medicine in Sheffield, and The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science at Sheffield Hallam University. 

Please share the hygiene guidance and messages with your partners and stakeholders and encourage display of the materials in their wider network, as well as your own organisation.

For further information, please contact Football Services:

Football Services
T: 01903 753547
E: Info@SussexFA.com