What are hate crimes and hate incidents?

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Sport brings people together, but it can also be a space where hate shows up. From racist chants at football matches to discriminatory comments by athletes, hate crimes and incidents can happen in sport and out of sport. And yes, hate in sport matters just as much as anywhere else.

Hate Crime: The Basics

A hate crime is any criminal act motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone because of their:

  • Race or perceived race.
  • Religion or perceived religion.
  • Sexual orientation or perceived orientation.
  • Disability or perceived disability.
  • Transgender identity or perceived identity.

A person affected does not have to be a member of the group that the hostility is targeted at. In fact, anyone could experience a hate crime.

When that behaviour is driven by hate, it becomes a hate crime. This is covered under criminal law.

Let's break that down: 

Criminal Offence
  +
Bias or Hostility
  =
Hate Crime

Hate Crimes vs Hate Incidents:

Not everything hateful is a crime, but it still matters. 

Hate Crime Hate Incident
Threats, assault, harassment, criminal damage Name-calling, offensive jokes, gestures
Does break the law May not break the law
Should be reported Still harmful and should be reported

 

Table caption: A table showing examples of what might be a hate crime and what might be a hate incident.

👉 Important: Both hate crimes and hate incidents should be reported to your National Governing Body and the police. It's important that you have an awareness of both, but the police and Crown Prosecution Service will decide if it meets the criminal threshold.

🧠 Did You Know?

  • We'll be using the word "aggravated" a few times during this module. This means that there might be an increase in the punishment if you commit a hate crime. 

  • You don’t have to be part of a group to be targeted.
    E.g., You're at a swimming event, and someone might shout homophobic abuse at you even if you're not gay.

  • Hate can be based on perception, not reality.
    E.g., someone might target you because they think you're part of a religion even if you're not.

🛡️ How the law protects your club and those around you

  • Equality Act: Like a rulebook - protects against discrimination (civil law).

  • Hate Crime Law: Like the red card - kicks in when discrimination becomes criminal.

Click here to move onto the next section.

Last modified: Tuesday, 8 September 2026, 2:07 PM