A new system for reporting sexism and misogyny at football matches is to come into effect in response to the growing abuse of female fans.

Kick it Out and Her Game Too are to work together on recording abuse at matches while also offering support to those who have experienced it, the organisations have announced.

Both groups had previously run their own reporting systems, but Kick It Out’s chief operating officer, Hollie Varney, said the growing scale of the challenge meant collaboration was now necessary.

“As reports of sexism and misogyny in football continue to rise, this relationship is an important step to ensuring that those who experience discrimination are listened to and have the support they need,” she said. “At Kick It Out, we believe working collaboratively to drive change is the best way to combat discrimination.”

Under the new approach, Kick It Out will be the main conduit for reporting, as well as processing complaints from fans and liaising with clubs and governing bodies over the issue. Her Game Too, which launched in 2021, will take the lead on providing support to victims of abuse.

The campaign comes after a significant increase in reports of sexism in recent seasons. Research from Kick it Out has shown that more than half of all female fans (52%) have experienced or witnessed sexist behaviour or language on matchdays, but a striking 85% of those people said they had not reported the incident, with many believing it would not make a difference.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with Kick It Out officially”, said Caz May, the CEO of Her Game Too. “They have an extremely experienced team dedicated to handling reports, and with Her Game Too being run by volunteers, it makes sense to spread the workload across both organisations. Her Game Too will still be on hand to support victims, offering face-to-face or virtual meet ups with our ambassadors and advisors across the country.”