A move to a new single national governing body is the biggest decision our sports have faced in 20 years, and it needs to be shaped by the people who play, coach, umpire and volunteer. More than 300 members of the two communities have already told us what they think through a survey, and the answers have shaped this update.
The survey is open until 31 October. If you have not had your say yet, please complete the survey. You can also use it to ask any question not answered here.
We are sharing this update to answer some of the questions raised so far. We will keep you informed as the work continues, including through a presentation at the BBF Congress in November and a BSF Online Forum at the end of November.
As baseball and softball have grown and evolved in Britain, the organisations that govern and support them have needed to evolve too.
Following discussions with members of the two communities, WBSC and our funders, UK Sport and Sport England, the British Baseball Federation (BBF), the British Softball Federation (BSF) and BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) are exploring a single, unified way to govern the sports. This work is being led by a joint Integration Committee, with representatives from all three organisations.
A few terms explained
- National Governing Body (NGB): the organisation responsible for running a sport nationally, including its rules, safeguarding, governance and integrity, coaching standards and development, national teams and relationships with funders.
- OneOrg: the working name for the proposed single governing body. It does not have a new name yet.
- Commissions: the proposed OneOrg volunteer-led groups that would run leagues and competitions for each sport, one for baseball and one for softball. In the BBF, this is the work currently done by the senior leagues, youth and officials commissioners and their respective committees. In the BSF, it is the work of running the National Softball League and supporting local leagues.
- Heads of Baseball and Softball: the people elected by each sport’s members to sit on OneOrg’s board and lead their sport’s Commission. The full role is still being designed, but each Head will lead their sport and represent it on the board.
- Code for Sports Governance: the standards UK Sport and Sport England require of every governing body they fund, covering how the board is made up, how decisions are taken and how the organisation is held to account.
- Restricted funding: money given by Sport England and UK Sport for a specific purpose, which can only be spent as agreed with the funder.
OneOrg
What is it?
OneOrg is the working name for a proposed single governing body for baseball and softball in Great Britain, covering baseball, fastpitch, slowpitch and Baseball5. It would bring together the work currently carried out by the three organisations.
Why is this being proposed?
Our funders, UK Sport and Sport England, have made one governing body a condition of continued funding. But it is also about the sports maturing. Baseball and softball have grown to a size where they can no longer be run the way they are now. A volunteer-run system with two national governing bodies and a separate development agency has kept the game going, thanks to the commitment of a great many people, but it places too much on too few volunteers and was never designed to grow the sports to the level we want. One professionally run body, with a long-term plan, would give the sports the foundations to grow and sustain that growth, and would let volunteers focus on the parts of the game they care about most.
When does it happen?
The target date for OneOrg to become the single national governing body for baseball and softball is 31 March 2027, subject to member approval.
Has the decision already been made?
No. Members will decide at each federation’s general meeting, which is expected to be held in February or early March 2027. The full details will be published before the vote, with online sessions and Q&As.
Why is the decision being planned so quickly?
OneOrg has been discussed informally for several years, with the current plans under more formal discussion since 2025. Sport England and UK Sport have also carried out a report into governance and finance. We recognise that communication with members could have been better, and improving it will be a priority. It was important, however, for all three organisations to agree on a practical route forward. The funders have set 31 March 2027 as the deadline for establishing a single governing body, leaving a short timeframe for the remaining work and member votes.
What would change for you?
If members agree, OneOrg would take on decision-making responsibility as the new NGB by 31 March 2027. The 2027 season would then run as normal, delivered by the existing volunteer teams, and the federations would close in autumn 2027 once their accounts are finalised.
We want the transition to feel smooth, with very little immediate change for members, while laying the foundations for a stronger, more ambitious future: more opportunities to play, better support for our community and more people discovering baseball and softball.
Why does funding depend on this?
Why do the funders want one organisation?
Both funders have made it a condition of their funding that a single board should be the decision-making body for baseball and softball, responsible for areas such as safeguarding, anti-doping and the rules of the sports. They believe a single governing body will make more effective use of public investment.
What does public funding pay for?
Many members are not aware of what public funding does, because most of it pays for the system underneath the game rather than going to clubs directly. Sport England invests in participation and the ‘health’ of the sport through BSUK.
UK Sport invests in international performance to fund the Olympic pathway. Between them, they fund coach development, safeguarding, governance and integrity, and provide access to club and facility development funding. They also support talent programmes, some GB squads and the governance that keeps the funding in place.
The money is restricted, so it can only be spent on what was agreed. Leagues, tournaments, youth leagues and umpiring are funded by membership fees and clubs.
What would happen if the funding were lost?
We want to be open about what is at stake, so you can weigh it up for yourself. If the deadline were missed, funding could be withheld and would be very hard to regain. That would affect far more than money:
- A professional framework that protects people. Policies, systems and staff that reduce the risk to members, coaches and volunteers, and support them when something goes wrong.
- Safeguarding. Keeping children and adults safe, with the workload and the risk falling on volunteers instead.
- Governance and legitimacy. Recognised standards that give the sport credibility with councils, schools, insurers, sponsors and other funders.
- Coach development. Courses, tutor support and clear standards that help coaches develop their knowledge and experience.
- Farnham Park. No longer sustainable as a venue for national and regional competitions without major cost increases.
- National teams. The Olympic pathway would be at risk, and national teams could lose performance and talent support.
Trust and your voice
How can I have my say?
We know many of you still have concerns about what a single organisation would mean for your club and your sport. Those concerns matter, and we want to hear them. Your views are shaping this work, and there are several ways to share them. Complete the survey before 31 October, ask questions through it, and come to the BBF Congress presentation or the BSF online session at the end of November.
Once OneOrg is set up, members would also be able to join working groups on areas such as coaching, youth participation and club development, where volunteers with real knowledge of the sport help guide how it develops.
Is this just BSUK taking over?
No. The new organisation will have a new name that reflects the coming together of the three organisations and the creation of a single National Governing Body for baseball and softball. It will not be BSUK. The new NGB will have a single new board, built to meet the governance standards recommended by the Code for Sports Governance and the funders’ requirements. Nothing is off the table as we create an organisation that feels genuinely different and ready for the future.
What would feel different about OneOrg?
Three things above all:
- Culture. An open, professional organisation that works with its community.
- Ambition. A clear goal to enable more baseball and softball games in more places. Youth participation will be a key focus, building on the work already done by the federations and clubs.
- Long-term planning. One unified strategy that sets the direction for years, not seasons, so plans are delivered over time.
What say would members have?
Members would run leagues and competitions through the Commissions, elect the Heads of Baseball and Softball to the board, and help shape development through the working groups. Final decisions would rest with OneOrg’s board, as the Code for Sports Governance requires, so that long-term plans are not overturned every time people change. Members would be able to see what is happening through published accounts, annual reports and a public roadmap.
Would my sport keep its voice?
Each sport’s identity, rights and board seat would be written into OneOrg’s articles (its rulebook), and could only be changed with that sport’s consent. Each sport would run its own competitions through its Commission, and the strategy would have to take a balanced approach across the sports. Fastpitch and slowpitch would both be represented through the Softball Commission, as they are in BSF today.
What we don’t know yet
Some important details are still being worked through, including the new organisation’s name and structure, membership and voting arrangements, its relationship with clubs across the UK, and future plans for Farnham Park. We want to be open about what is still undecided, as members’ views can help shape the outcome. The full plans will be documented and shared before members are asked to vote, and we will continue to update the community as recommendations are made.
Staying informed and getting in touch
Survey: open until 31 October. Complete the survey, and use it to ask questions too.
Contact us: Contact the BBF, BSF, or BSUK directly.
Follow: Follow our channels for updates.
The OneOrg Integration Committee, on behalf of the British Baseball Federation, the British Softball Federation and BaseballSoftballUK.