Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint
A Sprint may be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, and only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel it — not the Scrum Master, not management, not the Developers.
Why it is like this
Cancelling destroys the Sprint's main benefit and is traumatic enough that the Guide pins the authority to the one person accountable for product value. Anyone else cancelling it is overriding that accountability.
Not to be confused with
A tool for when a Sprint is going badly. Going badly is what the Sprint Goal and scope negotiation are for. Cancellation is for when the Goal no longer makes sense — the market moved, the company changed direction, the product was discontinued.
In practice
The Guide notes that cancellations are uncommon. A team that cancels Sprints regularly has a Sprint length problem or a Sprint Goal problem, not a cancellation policy problem.
Source: The Scrum Guide, November 2020 (Schwaber & Sutherland) — The Sprint. Read on .
The Scrum Guide is published by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland under CC BY-SA 4.0. These cards are independent commentary written in our own words, not a derivative of the Guide's text. ytyk.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance or the Guide's authors.
Odd one out Check yourself
Three of these are true of cancelling a Sprint. Which one is not?
Show the answer
The Scrum Master cancels the Sprint when the team cannot meet the Sprint Goal
Being unable to meet the Sprint Goal is a reason to inspect and adapt, not to cancel — and the Scrum Master has no cancellation authority in any case.