CHOOSING YOUR @USERNAME

Last updated 23 September 2026

Your @username is how other fans find you, mention you and recognise you across Sportly. This page explains, in plain language, what makes a good name and the few kinds of names we can't allow - so you can pick one you'll keep.

The basics

You choose your own @username when you sign up.
Names are first come, first served. If it's free, it's yours.
Use 3–24 characters: lowercase letters, numbers and underscores. No spaces, dots or symbols.
You can change your name once every six months from your settings. Your posts, followers and history always come with you.

Names that are great

Most names are completely fine. Fan names, nicknames and creative twists are exactly what Sportly is for:

@sarah_gunnar - a personal nickname - clearly you, not a club.
@spursfan_dan - you're a fan of the club, and the name says so.
@reds_since_94 - shows your allegiance without claiming to be the team.
@f1paddock_chat - a community or topic name, not an official body.
@theboxingboffin - creative and unmistakably a fan account.

The simple test: could a reasonable person think your account is officially run by a club, athlete, league or brand? If not, you're almost certainly fine.

Names we can't allow

@ManchesterUnited - a real club - held for them, so fans aren't misled.
@premierleague - a real competition - same reason.
@officialf1news - the word “official” makes it look run by F1.
@realmessi - claims to be a real athlete.
@lfc_ticketdeals - suggests an official sales channel.
@espn - a real broadcaster and brand.

Adding a number or an underscore doesn't get around this - @ManchesterUnited_2 is still Manchester United's name. And impersonating a club, athlete or another fan is never allowed, whatever the name.

A few more that don't work

Rude, hateful or abusive names, or names chosen to harass someone.
Names designed to mislead - for example @sportly_support or anything posing as Sportly staff.
Names that exist only to sell, trade or squat on. One person, one account, and accounts can't be sold.

If a name you've registered turns out to be taken in spirit

Occasionally someone registers a name that clearly belongs to a real club, athlete or brand before we've held it. If that happens to you, we won't just delete it:

We'll contact you first and explain why.
You'll have time to choose a new name before anything changes.
Your posts, followers and history move to the new name with you - you lose nothing but the handle.
If the name genuinely is yours - say your own name matches an athlete's - tell us and we'll listen.
We will never take a name just because someone else wants it.

Questions?

Not sure whether a name is OK? Pick it and try it - the signup form checks availability as you type. If you're still unsure afterwards, get in touch and we'll take a look. The short version of this policy also lives in our Terms of Service.