Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide)

Safety at sports grounds is achieved by establishing a balance between good management and good design.

The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (also known as the Green Guide) is the world’s foremost guidance on achieving this goal.

A fundamental principle of the Guide is that responsibility for all people present in a sports ground lies at all times with the ground management. 

The Green Guide details the assessment of a ground’s safe capacity. It outlines how to calculate the entry, holding, exit and emergency exit capacities. 

It also details the requirements for the safe movement of people in, out and around the stadium, including:

• Circulation, including ingress, egress, vertical circulation and concourses;
• Structures and installations, including barriers and separating elements and spectator accommodation (both seated and standing);
• Importance of effective systems including communications and control issues and mechanical and electrical installations; and
• Specific issues, including fire safety, medical and first aid provision, and media provision.

It’s used around the world by architects and designers as a best practice guide for the development and refurbishment of stadiums.  The latest (sixth) edition offers expert advice and technical specifications on ensuring a safe environment for spectators.

The Green Guide is supported by supplementary guidance:

• Supplementary Guidance 01: Safe Standing in Seated Areas
• Supplementary Guidance 03: Event Safety Management

(To note, Supplementary Guidance 02 was created to calculate capacity using social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)