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Edition 2026Active Merit Badge
Sports
Official Requirements & Fillable Workbook · 2026 Edition
Sports emphasizes fitness, athletic discipline, and teamwork through active athletic competition. You must participate fully in two complete sports seasons, learning the rules, strategies, and officiating. Requirement 5 requires designing a conditioning regimen, training consistently, and tracking performance metrics throughout the season.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Sports Safety, Conditioning & Nutrition
- Rules, Officiating & Strategic Play
- Two Seasons of Competitive Sport Play
- Sportsmanship, Team Leadership & Fitness
6Printable Pages
6Requirements
2025Reqs Revised
What is on the worksheet: Sports Requirements
Every requirement for the Sports merit badge, word for word as published, with room to write under each one on the printed worksheet.
1Risks and First Aid
Do the following:
- a Explain to your counselor the most likely risks you may encounter while participating in sports and what you should do to anticipate, prevent, mitigate, and respond to those risks.
- b Show that you know first aid or understand the treatment for injuries that could occur while participating in sports, including sprains; strains; muscle cramps; contusions; abrasions; blisters; dehydration; heat reactions; fractures; injured teeth; head, neck, and back injuries; and concussions.
2Physical Exams, Health, and Diet
Explain the following:
- a The importance of the physical exam
- b The importance of maintaining good health habits for life (such as exercising regularly), and how the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and other harmful substances can negatively affect your health and your performance in sports activities
- c The importance of maintaining a healthy diet
3Warmups, Training, and Sportsmanship
Discuss the following:
- a The importance of warming up and cooling down
- b The importance of weight training
- c What an amateur athlete is and the differences between an amateur and a professional athlete
- d The attributes (qualities) of a good sport, the importance of sportsmanship, and the traits of a good team leader and player who exhibits Scout spirit on and off the playing field
4Choose Two Sports
Select TWO of the following sports and discuss with your counselor how you will complete the requirements in 5(a) through 5(h) for each sport: badminton, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, diving, field hockey, flag football, flag team, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, spirit/cheerleading, swimming, tackle football, table tennis, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and/or wrestling. Your counselor may approve in advance other recognized sports, but not any sport that is prohibited by Scouting America. The sports you choose must include regular practice sessions and at least four structured, officiated, scored games, meets, or contests against other competitive individuals or organized teams during the period of participation.
5Train, Track, and Play
Do the following:
- a With guidance from your counselor, establish a suitable personal training program that you will follow throughout your competition season (or for three months).
- b Create a chart or other tracking system, and document your training, practice, and development during this time.
- c Demonstrate proper technique to play each sport effectively and avoid injury.
- d List and describe the equipment needed for each sport, including protective equipment and any specialized clothing.
- e List and explain the rules and proper etiquette of each sport.
- f Draw and explain a diagram of the playing area for each sport.
- g Participate in each sport as a competitive individual or as a member of an organized team for one season (or for three months).
- h At the end of the season, share your completed chart with your counselor and discuss how your participation in the sports you chose has affected you mentally and physically.
6Option Selection
Do ONE of the following:
- a Identify three career opportunities that would use skills and knowledge related to a sport. Pick one and research the training, education, certification requirements, experience, and expenses associated with entering the field. Research the prospects for employment, starting salary, advancement opportunities and career goals associated with this career. Discuss what you learned with your counselor and whether you might be interested in this career.
- b Identify how you might use skills and knowledge related to a sport to pursue a personal hobby and/or healthy lifestyle. Research the additional training required, expenses, and affiliation with organizations that would help you maximize the enjoyment and benefit you might gain from it. Discuss what you learned with your counselor and share what short-term and long-term goals you might have if you pursued this.
Two dates, two different things
Requirements Revision vs. Worksheet Date
Scouting America last revised the Sports requirements in 2025. That is the badge, not this sheet — an older year does not mean the worksheet is out of date.
Verbatim Fidelity & Verification
This worksheet was checked against https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/sports/ in Aug 2026 and reproduces the requirements word for word. Both dates are printed on the sheet, so a copy in a binder can always be placed in time.
Requirement text is © Scouting America, reproduced verbatim. The worksheet layout and design are original to this project.
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