The U.S. Center for SafeSport (USCSS) operates a public, searchable database of individuals with active sanctions, temporary measures, or permanently ineligible status across Olympic and Paralympic movement sports. The Centralized Disciplinary Database (CDD) is the single most-useful free vetting tool most parents have never opened.
This piece is the 60-second walkthrough.
What the CDD covers.
Individuals affiliated with USCSS-covered National Governing Bodies (NGBs). This includes USA Hockey, USA Swimming, USA Gymnastics, U.S. Soccer, USA Volleyball, USA Track & Field, USA Wrestling, USA Lacrosse, USA Cycling, and most other Olympic and Paralympic NGBs.
The status categories listed:
Permanently Ineligible. The most-serious sanction. Individual cannot participate in any USCSS-covered organization.
Suspended. Time-limited removal from participation.
Eligible with Restrictions. Conditions imposed on participation (such as no minor athlete contact).
Temporary Measures. Restrictions imposed during an active investigation, before final adjudication.
The database lists name, NGB affiliation, sanction type, and (for some entries) the violation category.
What the CDD does not cover.
Non-NGB youth-sports programs. Rec leagues, school-based sports outside NGB affiliation, private clubs without NGB connection, performance camps without NGB connection. These programs are governed by their own policies, school district rules, or state laws.
Coaches sanctioned by other systems. A coach removed from a school district for misconduct does not necessarily appear on the CDD if the matter was not also reported to SafeSport.
Coaches with allegations not yet adjudicated. Pending matters generally do not appear publicly.
Coaches sanctioned at the local club or league level. NGBs maintain their own sanction lists; some report to SafeSport, some do not.
The CDD captures a meaningful but partial picture. A clean CDD search does not guarantee a coach is safe; it confirms the coach is not currently subject to USCSS sanctions.
How to run the search.
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Open uscenterforsafesport.org.
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Click “Response and Resolution” in the main menu (or navigate directly to the CDD page).
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Click “Search the Database.”
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Enter the coach’s first and last name. Search is case-insensitive.
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Review any matches.
The search returns matches based on names provided. A common name may return multiple results from unrelated individuals; verify with NGB affiliation, location, or other identifiers.
A “no results” return means no individual with that name is currently in the database with active sanctions.
When to run the search.
Before signing a kid up with a new club or program. Quick check on the head coach and lead instructors.
Before sending a kid to a clinic or camp featuring named coaches. The “guest instructor with NCAA experience” framing is the kind of marketing that warrants a CDD check.
If something feels off about a coach. The CDD result is one data point. Multiple negative signals (vague vetting answers from the program, communication patterns that worry you, kid expressing discomfort) deserve attention regardless.
Before a private trainer or skills coach who works with multiple kids. The CDD covers coaches affiliated with NGBs; some private trainers will appear, others will not.
What to do if a search returns a match.
If the match is the coach in question, the next step depends on the sanction status:
Permanently Ineligible. The coach should not be working in any covered context. If they are, report to USCSS and the program.
Suspended. Same.
Eligible with Restrictions. The coach is allowed to participate but with restrictions. The program should be aware of and complying with the restrictions. Worth asking the program director.
Temporary Measures. The matter is under active investigation. The coach should be subject to interim restrictions.
If the match might be the coach but you are not sure, the program director can verify. Programs in NGB-affiliated activities have access to NGB-level vetting that includes the CDD.
The reporting connection.
The CDD entries arrive from USCSS investigations or NGB referrals. Parents who suspect a coach of misconduct can file a report:
Online at uscenterforsafesport.org.
By phone at 720-531-0340.
Reports can be anonymous, though investigation may be limited if follow-up information cannot be obtained.
The reporting process is separate from the database. A coach in active investigation may not appear on the CDD until after a sanction is imposed.
The limits worth knowing.
The CDD reflects USCSS-jurisdiction matters. For non-NGB programs, the CDD is not the relevant tool.
State sex offender registries (each state maintains one) capture certain criminal sanctions that may not appear in the CDD. Cross-checking both is appropriate for a thorough vetting.
The CDD is updated regularly but not in real-time. A coach sanctioned this week may not appear for days to weeks.
For programs and parents involved in non-NGB sports.
Programs outside NGB jurisdiction should still adopt SafeSport-aligned practices. Many do, voluntarily. The CDD is not the relevant tool for these programs; the program’s own vetting and conduct policies are.
For these programs, the parent-side vetting moves are:
State sex offender registry check (free, public).
Background check verification (ask the program).
References (other parents whose kids have been in the program).
Direct conversation with the program leadership about conduct expectations and reporting procedures.
The honest read. The Centralized Disciplinary Database is one of the highest-leverage free vetting tools available to parents and is meaningfully underused. A 60-second search before signing up for a new program or clinic does not guarantee safety, but it does eliminate one category of risk (currently-sanctioned coaches operating outside their sanction). The cost is zero. The information is public. The kids whose families ran the check before signing up have not been the headline cases.
For the parent reading this, open uscenterforsafesport.org and search the head coach of your kid’s primary team. The whole process is under a minute.