The Ministry of Social Development says the vetting of adults wanting to work with children's sports teams needs to be based on common sense, and that is why screening has not been made mandatory.
But Ken Clearwater, who manages the support group Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse, says a recent conference in New York was dominated by revelations of sports coaches abusing young players.
The Government's white paper on vulnerable children calls for a mandatory vetting system for some adults working with children and young people - but not for those working with sports teams.
Mr Clearwater says that's inexplicable saying what occurred in Penn State University in the United States, where an assistant football coach sexually violated boys over a period of 15 years, could happen in New Zealand.
But the Ministry of Social Development says the threat posed by a small number of high-risk individuals has to be balanced with the need to ensure safe, well-intentioned people are not inhibited from acting as volunteers.
It says sports clubs can use new guidelines to screen people volunteering to work with young people.
