FAQ
Everything clubs, associations, and youth sports organizations need to know before and during use. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Write to us.
General
Basic information about wellplayd and our platform
wellplayd is a SaaS platform for clubs, associations, and youth sports organizations. We bring together legally compliant processes related to safety policies, background checks, self-declarations, and reporting channels—all in one place, with clear lines of responsibility.
For sports clubs, city, county, and state sports associations, specialized federations, as well as consulting and educational providers dealing with issues that threaten integrity. Consumers cannot use wellplayd directly.
wellplayd GmbH, based in Hamburg. Our team comes from sports associations, the legal field, and product development—we’re building the tool we would have wanted ourselves.
Responsible club management means ensuring that legal and ethical standards are upheld within organizations. This includes, for example, child protection, anti-discrimination, data protection, and workplace safety. Those who take this seriously protect people—and their own organization.
Through digital background checks, anonymous reporting channels for suspected cases, and the tracking of documentation and training for employees, the platform actively contributes to the protection of children and young people.
With wellplayd, documents can be electronically signed during an authenticated session. The signing process is documented with information regarding the signer, the time of signing, authentication, and the integrity of the specific version of the document. Subsequent changes to the signed document can be detected based on this evidence.
Whether an electronic signature is permissible for a specific document and what signature level is required depends on the applicable legal, statutory, or contractual formal requirements.
Case management enables structured, secure, and DSGVO-compliant handling of incidents—including documentation, transparency, confidentiality, and traceability.
Yes. State-of-the-art encryption methods are used, all data processing complies with the DSGVO, and sensitive data is not stored in the first place whenever possible.
No. Setup is simple, intuitive, and requires no prior technical knowledge.
Functions
Learn more about wellplayd’s features and capabilities.
Document management, digital signatures, secure reporting channels, case management (including two-factor authentication), good governance project management, monitoring, and e-learning. All managed through a central orchestration system.
You can create a new access key at any time. To do so, go to the Key Management section in your profile and create a new key for the corresponding device. Then download the new certificate and set a PIN.
Changing your access key has no effect on new processes, such as an upcoming background check. You can simply handle these using your new key.
For existing cases that your previous key had access to, access must be restored once. To do this, you can digitally request a key repair from the second person listed as a co-user for the respective case file.
Guidelines
EIDAS & Digital Signatures
An electronic signature has no general legal expiration date. How long a signed statement remains legally valid and how long the document must be retained depends on the content, legal basis, and purpose of the document in question.
wellplayd enables traceable documentation and retention. The customer specifies the retention and deletion periods that apply to their documents.
A qualified electronic signature is particularly relevant when the law requires the written form and this may be replaced by electronic form pursuant to Section 126a of the German Civil Code (BGB). One example is the agreement on a fixed term in an employment contract pursuant to Section 14(4) of the German Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act (TzBfG).
However, there are also written form requirements where the electronic form is expressly excluded. These include, for example, the termination or mutual termination agreement of an employment relationship (Section 623 of the German Civil Code (BGB)) as well as a guarantee declaration (Section 766 BGB). In these cases, even a qualified electronic signature (QES) is not sufficient.
Additional requirements apply in cases of notarization, public certification, or other special formal requirements.
Many declarations and documents are not subject to any specific legal form and may be signed electronically. These typically include internal guidelines, codes of honor and conduct, acknowledgments, approvals, and other declarations not subject to any specific form.
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DSGVO & Data Protection
There is no fixed statutory time limit. The duration depends on the purpose of processing. Statutory retention periods provide guidance:
• Accounting records, contracts: 6 years (§ 257 of HGB)
• Tax-related documents: 10 years (§ 147 of AO)
• HinSchG reports: 3 years after the conclusion of proceedings
• Access to background checks: 3 months after the end of employment
wellplayd supports the configuration of data-category-specific retention periods.
In principle, only data necessary for the specific purpose may be collected (data minimization, Art. 5 DSGVO). Consent or a contract generally forms the legal basis. Information regarding criminal convictions and offenses is subject to Article 10 of the DSGVO. In addition to a legal basis under Article 6 of the DSGVO, the processing of such information requires compliance with the additional conditions set forth in Article 10 of the DSGVO and a relevant statutory basis. Whether and to what extent an organization may process such information depends on the specific circumstances of each case.
wellplayd enables these consents to be obtained digitally and documents them with a timestamp.
Yes. wellplayd processes data as a data processor under Article 28 of the DSGVO and enters into a data processing agreement (AVV) with each client. This agreement is accepted as part of the registration process. All data is stored exclusively on servers within the EU.
The platform is designed according to the “Privacy by Design” principle (Article 25 of DSGVO). Data protection is built into the system itself, rather than being an afterthought.
DSJ & DOSB Tiered Model & Safe Sport Code
Yes, the written code of honor or code of conduct is an explicit requirement of the DOSB Tiered Model and is one of the minimum standards that all DOSB member organizations must meet. Coaches, volunteers, and other officials must provide proof that they have signed the code.
wellplayd enables the digital collection and archiving of code signatures at the level of an advanced electronic signature (FES) in accordance with eIDAS.
Depending on the sport and the association, the following documents may be required:
• Extended background check (mandatory under § 72a SGB VIII)
• Valid coaching license / instructor card (DOSB licensing system; renewal every 4 years, depending on the association)
• First aid course (recommendation: renew every 2 years, DRK/DLRG standard)
• Prevention training (specific content and frequency depending on the association)
wellplayd manages all of these documents in a central overview with automatic expiration reminders.
The Tiered Model addresses prevention and minimum standards; it establishes the necessary structures before an incident occurs. The Safe Sport Code supplements the tiered model with an intervention procedure: It outlines what to do when an incident is reported (investigation team, disciplinary body, appeals process) and plans for the structural integration of protection processes throughout the entire sports system by 2028.
wellplayd develops all features in line with the developments of the Safe Sport Code.
The dsj and DOSB Tiered Model establishes minimum standards for prevention and protection against abuse in sports. It was initiated by the dsj in 2020 and adopted by the DOSB General Assembly. It requires all DOSB member organizations—federal and state associations as well as their member organizations—to implement the standards by the end of 2024.
The levels include, among other things, background check management, the introduction of a code of conduct, the establishment of a complaints office, and the appointment of prevention officers. wellplayd implements the necessary processes for implementing the tiered model.
Federal Child Protection Act & Background Check
As of October 1, 2026, the Federal Office of Justice will also provide background checks, upon request, as official digital PDFs via the BundID account. This generally applies to extended criminal background checks as well, provided they are not to be sent directly to a government agency.
The digital certificate of good conduct has the same legal validity and evidentiary value as the paper version. Its authenticity and integrity can be verified using the qualified electronic seal or the official QR/VDS verification process.
When the original digital PDF is uploaded, wellplayd can technically verify the qualified electronic seal and detect any alterations to the document.
Whether an extended criminal record check is required or permitted depends on the specific field of activity and the applicable legal or contractual basis.
Section 72a of SGB VIII contains specific provisions for child and youth welfare services and agreements with independent agencies and associations based on these provisions. For part-time and volunteer work, factors such as the nature, intensity, and duration of contact with children and adolescents are decisive.
An extended record check may also be required under the conditions set forth in § 30a BZRG. The decision on this matter is made by the respective organization, not by wellplayd.
There is no universally applicable statutory validity period, nor is there a five-year interval mandated by law for all associations.
The agency to which a certificate of good conduct is to be submitted determines how recent it must be. When submitting the certificate for the first time, a certificate no more than three months old is often required. For subsequent reviews, deadlines may arise in particular from agreements, association guidelines, or security policies.
No. The background check may only be viewed; it may not be copied or permanently stored. The club may only document that the check was viewed, including, for example, the date, the result, and the issuing authority.
The record check may only be viewed; if it is stored, it must be kept securely and only for as long as absolutely necessary. This applies equally to digital and analog formats. For this reason, we simulate the viewing process and store the photo securely encrypted (unreadable on the server, accessible only on the sender’s and recipient’s local devices). After viewing, the file deletes itself, and only the record of the viewing is retained. Starting in 2026, the record certificate will also be issued as a PDF. This will finally put an end to the debate over whether the digital document is just as valid as the paper version. Our process has been reviewed by four different attorneys and found to be legally compliant. This represents a major step forward in data security compared to storing documents in files, dropping them in mailboxes, or sending them via email.
Information regarding criminal convictions and offenses is subject to Article 10 of the DSGVO. In addition to a legal basis under Article 6 of the DSGVO, the processing of such information requires compliance with the additional conditions set forth in Article 10 of the DSGVO and a relevant statutory basis. Whether and to what extent an organization may process such information depends on the specific circumstances of each case.
For official digital background checks, wellplayd verifies the qualified electronic seal contained in the PDF. In particular, the following are verified: the cryptographic integrity of the document, the certificate chain, the status of the certificate, and its qualification. This technical verification confirms the origin and authenticity of the official digital document. It does not replace the substantive review by the responsible person at the club or association and, in particular, does not determine whether a person may be assigned to a specific role.
A paper certificate of origin can be securely made available for review as a photo or image via wellplayd.
In this process, wellplayd does not perform a technical authenticity check on the original paper document. The competent authority decides, based on the legal, contractual, and organizational requirements applicable to it, whether the digital visual inspection is sufficient or whether the presentation of the original paper document or another verification procedure is additionally required.
For a technically verifiable authenticity check, the official digital background check is recommended.
The uploaded background check will be deleted once the prescribed review process is complete. Only the information required for the respective legally permissible documentation and record-keeping is stored.
Which data is stored and when it must be deleted depends on the legal basis applicable to the respective customer. Particularly strict requirements apply within the scope of Section 72a(5) of SGB VIII.
Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG)
According to Section 16(1) of the HinSchG, an internal reporting office should also process reports submitted anonymously. However, the law does not require employers to design the reporting channel in such a way that anonymous reporting is technically possible.
wellplayd voluntarily offers an anonymous reporting channel as an additional feature.
According to § 11(5) HinSchG, reports and their documentation must be retained for 3 years after the conclusion of the proceedings. After that, they must be deleted. wellplayd supports automated deletion schedules based on the date the proceedings are concluded.
The HinSchG applies to all organizations with at least 50 employees. Smaller clubs are formally exempt but may voluntarily establish a reporting office to meet protection standards and strengthen trust. Larger associations and sports organizations, such as state associations or Bundesliga clubs, are often already subject to this requirement.
The reporting office must receive reports confidentially, confirm receipt within 7 days, and provide feedback on the measures taken within 3 months at the latest.
wellplayd digitally maps this entire process, including deadline monitoring, anonymous reporting, and structured case management.
No. Users can only view the reports and case files of the reporting center to which they are assigned.
No. Reporting offices are completely separate from one another. Each reporting office can only view and process its own cases.
No. Even if additional departments are set up, it is not possible to see which individuals are assigned to another reporting office.