World Fair Play Day Date in the current year: May 19, 2025

Fair play, also known as sportsmanship, is the practice of showing respect, honesty and integrity in sports or competition by following the rules, treating opponents and officials with respect, and competing without cheating or seeking unfair advantage. It is a complex concept rooted in essential values shared by sport and everyday life, such as fairness, respect, friendship, teamwork, equality and integrity. Fair play goes beyond simply following the written rules and emphasizes the importance of respecting unwritten norms and consistently showing respect for opponents, teammates, officials and spectators.

Sportsmanship can take many forms in different sports, but it always focuses on respect, fairness and positive behavior. It includes treating others the way you’d like to be treated, recognizing good play, even by the opposing athlete or team, and admitting mistakes. Common examples include shaking hands, helping a fallen opponent, offering encouragement, cheering, clapping or high-fiving, and showing respect to everyone.

Fair play promotes mutual respect and teaches us to value and treat others with dignity. It promotes equality, unites people across cultures and empowers youth by demonstrating how sport can inspire social change and strengthen communities. When we commit to fair play by obeying the rules, respecting our opponents, and fighting violence and doping, everyone benefits.

The history of World Fair Play Day can be traced back to 2013, when Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles, a non-profit organization based in Brussels that promotes ethics, fair play and positive values in sport throughout the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, first organized a week of Fair Play activities in September, including the Relay du Fair Play.

In 2020, Panathlon International, the European Fair Play Movement and the International Fair Play Committee joined forces to launch World Fair Play Day. The date of September 7 was chosen to commemorate the founding anniversary of the International Fair Play Committee, which was established in 1963 by members of UNESCO, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE), the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the Federation Internationale des Luttes Associées (FILA, now United World Wrestling) and the International Rugby Board (IRB, now World Rugby).

World Fair Play Day was celebrated in September from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, the United Nations designated it as one of the UN International Days, and the date was moved to May 19 beginning in 2025. The resolution establishing World Fair Play Day recognized the importance of fair play and the role of sport in promoting peace, sustainable development, community cohesion, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.