Who can cancel a Sprint? Only the Product Owner. The Scrum Guide 2020 says a Sprint could be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, and it gives that authority to the Product Owner alone. The Scrum Master, the Developers, stakeholders and managers can argue for cancellation, but they cannot make the call. The Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) assessment tests this rule with distractors that sound reasonable. Last verified: October 2026.
Why sprint cancellation matters on the PSM I exam
Sprint cancellation is a small rule, but it checks whether you know where accountability sits in Scrum. The PSM I has 80 questions in 60 minutes, and the passing score is 85%, according to the Scrum.org PSM I page. That leaves room for about 12 mistakes, so a quick accountability question is a point you should not lose.
| PSM I fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Questions | 80 |
| Time | 60 minutes |
| Passing score | 85% |
| Fee | USD 200 per attempt |
| Source text | Scrum Guide 2020 |
Questions usually wrap the rule in a scenario: a market shift, an angry stakeholder or a team that is behind. You decide two things: whether cancellation is allowed, and who can do it.
Who can cancel a Sprint: the Scrum Guide 2020 wording
The rule sits in the Sprint section of the Scrum Guide 2020. It has two parts:
- The condition. A Sprint may be cancelled if its Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. A late team, a sick Developer or a hard technical problem does not make the goal obsolete.
- The authority. The guide says: "Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint." No one else has this authority.
This fits the Product Owner's accountability for maximizing the value of the product. If the goal no longer creates value, the person accountable for value decides to stop.
The 2017 Scrum Guide added that the Product Owner may cancel under influence from stakeholders, the Development Team or the Scrum Master, and described what happens to Done and incomplete items. The 2020 text keeps only the condition and the authority, so exam questions focus on those two points.
Worked example: the market shift
Here is the scenario from our LinkedIn question, expanded.
A team is on day 6 of a two-week Sprint. The Sprint Goal is "Launch a promotional checkout flow for the spring campaign." On day 6, marketing cancels the campaign because a competitor changed prices. The checkout flow no longer has a purpose.
The Developers raise the change, the Scrum Master coaches the Product Owner on options, and the head of marketing asks for a stop. The Product Owner decides that the goal is obsolete and cancels. Everyone influences the decision; only one person makes it. After the cancellation, the team usually holds a new Sprint Planning. The 2020 guide does not prescribe this step, which is why a Scrum Guide feedback item asked to clarify what cancelling a Sprint means. Commenters there argued that the gap leaves room for self-management.
Why each wrong option fails
The LinkedIn question asked who has the authority to cancel when a market shift makes the Sprint Goal obsolete.
| Option | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A) The Scrum Master | Wrong | The Scrum Master coaches, facilitates and removes impediments. The Scrum Master does not decide what the product needs. |
| B) The Developers | Wrong | The Developers own the Sprint Backlog and decide how to do the work. They do not decide whether the Sprint continues. |
| C) The Product Owner | Correct | The Scrum Guide gives this authority only to the Product Owner. |
| D) Stakeholders or management | Wrong, and the most tempting | Stakeholders can influence the Product Owner. The authority is still not theirs. |
Option D is the trap: in many companies a director can stop any project, but the exam asks what Scrum says.
What practitioners say about cancelling a Sprint
- In a long-running Scrum.org forum thread on terminating the Sprint, Curtis Slough drew the key line: "Advising to terminate and actually terminating are 2 very different things." Other members said the Scrum Master can advise, but the Product Owner decides.
- In a 2021 forum thread about a Sprint Goal that would not be achieved, the team could not finish because of illness. Thomas Owens and Ryan Kent replied that the goal was not obsolete, so cancellation was the wrong tool. The team renegotiated scope with the Product Owner instead.
- Mary Iqbal, a Professional Scrum Trainer, wrote on the Scrum.org blog in 2025 that she has seen cancellation only twice in over 20 years. One case was a new client contract, and the other was work that turned out to be technically impossible.
Common misconceptions about sprint cancellation
- "The Scrum Master can cancel to protect the team." No. The Scrum Master protects the team by coaching and by removing impediments. Read more in our article on the Scrum Master as impediment remover.
- "A Sprint that is behind schedule should be cancelled." No. If the goal still makes sense, the Developers and the Product Owner renegotiate the Sprint Backlog.
- "Management can overrule the Product Owner." The guide says the organization must respect the Product Owner's decisions.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Midway through a Sprint, a sudden market shift makes the Sprint Goal obsolete. Who has the authority to cancel the Sprint?
A) The Scrum Master B) The Developers C) The Product Owner D) Stakeholders or management
Answer: C. The Scrum Guide gives the authority to cancel only to the Product Owner.
Question 2
Two Developers are sick, and the team will probably not finish all Sprint Backlog items. The Sprint Goal is still valuable. What is the best action?
A) The Product Owner cancels the Sprint B) The Scrum Master extends the Sprint by three days C) The Developers and the Product Owner renegotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog D) The team lowers the Definition of Done for this Sprint
Answer: C. The goal is not obsolete, so cancellation does not apply. Sprints have a fixed length, and quality does not decrease.
Question 3
A senior manager tells the Developers to stop the current Sprint and start new work. What should the Developers do?
A) Stop immediately, because management outranks the Scrum Team B) Refer the manager to the Product Owner, who decides whether the Sprint Goal is obsolete C) Ask the Scrum Master to cancel the Sprint D) Continue and ignore the request
Answer: B. The manager can influence the Product Owner, but only the Product Owner can cancel.
Related topics
- Scrum Guide 2020 at six: what the PSM exam still tests
- Product Ownership in practice
- Scrum Master as impediment remover
- Definition of Done vs Definition of Ready
- Practise accountability questions in the PSM I exam simulator.
FAQ
Can the Scrum Master cancel a Sprint?
No. Under the Scrum Guide 2020, only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint. The Scrum Master can coach the Product Owner and help the team make the situation transparent.
When should a Sprint be cancelled?
A Sprint should be cancelled only when its Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, for example after a market change or a new business priority. Falling behind is not a reason to cancel.
What happens after a Sprint is cancelled?
The Scrum Guide 2020 does not say. Most teams hold a new Sprint Planning soon after, and many also run a short Retrospective.
Can stakeholders force the cancellation of a Sprint?
Stakeholders can ask the Product Owner to cancel and explain why. The decision still belongs to the Product Owner.
Sources
- The Scrum Guide 2020
- The Scrum Guide 2017 (PDF)
- Scrum.org: Professional Scrum Master I assessment
- Scrum.org blog: When to Cancel the Sprint (Mary Iqbal, 2025)
- Scrum.org forum: Terminate the Sprint
- Scrum.org forum: Sprint Goal will not be achieved. Should I cancel the sprint or not?
- Scrum.org forum: Sprint Cancellation and its effect on Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective
- Scrum Guide feedback board: Clarify what cancelling a sprint means