17-07-2025
More Ball Games: Can changing prohibitive signs help make the UK more active?
Dotted around London are signs, thousands of them — and there is no mistaking the message, each word often starting with a capital letter as if to emphasise the point: No Ball Games.
Are the messages anti-sport? The aim, at least, is to curtail play. But the eagle-eyed in the English capital will have recently noticed slight editing to some signs, a change from 'no' to 'more' and basketball hoops added underneath the now encouraging words: More Ball Games.
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Behind this campaign is London Sport, a charity that is calling on policymakers in the United Kingdom to remove the 'No Ball Games' signs, to reimagine public spaces and discuss solutions that can help remove systemic barriers.
Over half of London's young adults and children aren't meeting recommended activity levels, according to public body Sport England's 'Active Lives' 2023-2024 report.
But this isn't just a London problem. UK Parliament statistics show that obesity levels increased from 15 per cent in 1993 to 29 per cent in 2022 in the UK. Over a quarter (28.6 per cent) of children aged two to 15 were overweight or obese in 2022-2023, with children growing up in deprived areas more likely to be obese.
'We've been speaking to different organisations about really low-cost ideas because, ideally, we would have lots more parks, sports facilities, and youth clubs for children and young people,' Emily Robinson, London Sport CEO, told The Athletic.
'But we know that money's tight, and if you want to get kids active, the easiest thing is to get them out on their doorstep, right where they are.'
London Sport says more than 560,000 Londoners are put off by the No Ball Games signs, and each sign removed could make up to 80 children more active.
No Ball Games signs first appeared across the UK in the 1970s, stemming from resident complaints, and are most commonly found on local authority housing estates.
In 2015, the Denis Law Legacy Trust, named after the former Manchester United and Scotland great, worked with the city council to remove hundreds of signs in the former footballer's hometown of Aberdeen, Scotland.
There is no system to check whether the signs are suitable or review to see if they should be taken down, London Sport says. Installed by those who own or manage the properties, including local authorities and private landlords, the signs are not legally enforceable.
In south London, at the Mursell Estate in Lambeth, a sign has been amended and a hoop installed. This is where players from top-flight Super League Basketball (SLB) team London Lions filmed social media content to boost the profile of the campaign.
It was shorts and T-shirt weather when The Athletic visited the estate, which consists of hundreds of flats and is situated between the busy areas of Brixton and Vauxhall. The Kia Oval, the 27,000-capacity cricket ground a 15-minute walk away, is sporting luxury compared to the estate's makeshift hoop.
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No players are spotted on this midweek lunchtime. The only movement of the basketball net comes from the light breeze. Those walking through the passageway that the hoop sits on top of were using a different kind of basket as they headed to the Tesco Express on the nearby Clapham Road.
Many told The Athletic they like the hoop, but said the location isn't a practical long-term solution, given the noise and vicinity to flats — even with a net attached to the stairway above to catch any inaccurate shots.
A resident who did not want to be named told The Athletic: 'They should put it somewhere else. They are not experts, they are hitting the wall with every other shot. Pound, pound, pound. They came down here to do some filming, and they should have taken it with them.'
Others suggested that an area to play helps give parents peace of mind that their children are close by, safe, and not driven to cause trouble because of boredom.
Resident Tania Nunes, 30, said she had to take her children elsewhere to play. 'They need to improve the play area,' she said. 'I have two kids with autism, ages nine and 11, and they have nothing to do.'
Market research and insight agency Opinium surveyed 4,000 adults, including 500 from London, on removing No Ball Game signs. Nearly half (40 per cent) of those from London were in favour of removing them, and 31 per cent opposed it.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told The Athletic that he supported initiatives to remove No Ball Games signs 'where possible'.
'While he recognises that sign removal isn't always possible, the Mayor believes that all young Londoners should have access to spaces and places where they can participate in sport and physical activity.'
Sport and physical activity on any level can improve people's cardiovascular health, cognitive function, social skills and mental health. So, what are the long-term solutions?
'When we're building houses and developments, we must make sure from the outset that there are places for children and teenagers to play and be physically active,' says Robinson.
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'It's not just a case of putting up a little playground that only works for little kids. But also, how do we build and design areas that young people of all ages can play, exercise, and play games? And also, how do we strengthen opportunities for children at school?'
As part of the ongoing More Ball Games campaign, London Sport have amended signs in Lambeth and another south London borough, Lewisham. Since 2015, they have removed 130 signs in the north London borough of Haringey, in partnership with the local authority.
Some people may disapprove of the removal of No Ball Games signs but charities and organisations such as London Sport hope that by raising awareness, they can help young people of all backgrounds be active.
