Operational and accidental beam losses in hadron colliders can have a serious impact on machine and detector performance, resulting in effects ranging from minor to catastrophic. Principles and realization are described for a reliable beam collimation system required to sustain favorable background conditions in the collider detectors, provide quench stability of superconducting magnets, minimize irradiation of accelerator equipment, maintain operational reliability over the life of the machine, and reduce the impact of radiation on personnel and the environment. Based on detailed Monte‐Carlo simulations, such a system has been designed and incorporated in the Tevatron collider. Its performance, comparison to measurements and possible ways to further improve the collimation efficiency are described in detail. Specifics of the collimation systems designed for the SSC, LHC, VLHC, and HERA colliders are discussed. © 2003 American Institute of Physics