Social Media
Social media is an effective tool in promoting your successes and building your brand as an athlete. You have the opportunity to provide a unique view into what it means to be part of the Commonwealth Games as a member of Team Scotland and we encourage you to share your experiences. However, it is really important to follow some key guidelines to protect yourself, your sport, the Team and the Games, as well as keeping everyone safe.
Your Online Presence
Just as Team members are required to be supportive, polite and show respect to Team Scotland members, members of other teams, Games staff, volunteers and members of the public at all times in person, you should also present the best possible image of yourself and Team Scotland online.
Remember that you are representing your country; you are an ambassador for Team Scotland and will be in the public spotlight, particularly as Scotland is host nation for these Games. As such, journalists will also be following your story so you should also be aware that anything you post on your social media channels could end up as a news headline or quote attributed to you. If you are ever unsure about posting something, please speak with your Media Officer.
It is also very important to decide how and when you will use social media during the Games so that it does not become a negative distraction and impact upon performance.
Games Time Rules
Public interest in Team Scotland and the Games has already begun and you should conduct yourself in a fitting manner at all times. In addition, the ‘Games Time’ period brings with it additional rules and responsibilities for everyone accredited as part of Glasgow 2026. This is in operation from 15 July until 4 August. Full requirements are outlined in the Commonwealth Sport Charter of Good Conduct, with highlights outlined below.
You can post anything made available to you through the ScorePlay app or directly from Commonwealth Sport. For photos and videos you take yourself, the below rules apply and you must not sell any photos or videos taken at the Games. These rules are in place to protect the rights of sponsors, media and broadcasters.
Competition Venue
You CAN post photos taken anywhere in competition venues to social media or personal blogs as long as you don’t mention or tag any personal sponsors
You CAN post video taken at competition venues, if filmed in areas away from the field of play.
You CAN’T post your own recorded or live video from the field of play to social media or personal blogs (sporting action and Opening, Closing and Medal ceremonies).
You CAN post up to 10 clips per day of no more than 90 seconds per clip of Field of Play footage supplied to you by Commonwealth Sport / Glasgow 2026. Please wait for one hour after the event before publishing this content on your social media channels to allow the broadcasters time to distribute their content.
Training Venue/Hotels
You CAN post any photos and recorded/live video you take in training venues and hotels as long as you don’t mention or tag any personal sponsors
Take care that your accreditation pass isn’t in view in photos. You might want to spin it round to the side or back rather than taking it off.
Social Protect
Unfortunately there are more and more figures in the public eye who are being subjected to trolling and bullying online. This can have a real and detrimental impact on performance and mental health.
Team Scotland have secured the use of Social Protect Pro for team members, an app that detects and deletes abusive social media comments in real time. It will also keep a record of deleted comments in case further action is required later.
If You Do Encounter Negative Behaviour
Record it – take a screenshot so that you have a record of the original post or message. This helps if the poster tries to edit or delete their post once they realise it could get them in trouble. It can also help if you need to take things further.
Report it – most social media sites have special functions in place to keep you safe online. Report harmful posts and block users.
Log off – it can be really overwhelming when trolls are pestering you. While you can’t control their behaviour, you can limit the time you spend dealing with it. Logging off social media can be difficult but it’s a good idea if you are upset and if it is impacting your performance.
You don’t need to go completely off-grid; you could try turning off push notifications, logging off accounts affected or deleting social media apps from your phone until you are home.
Tell someone – we are here to support you and help you achieve the very best performance. If you are being trolled, talk to your Team Manager, your dedicated Media Officer, the Wellbeing team or one of the General Team Management so we can provide the support you need.