When it comes to sports, soccer is usually the star. Millions of people all over the world play and dream of becoming someone like their idols. But they don’t just play soccer. Basketball, tennis, swimming, athletics?
Already at school, sports activities are encouraged and the continuity and development of sports is promoted through amateur leagues in different sports. The trend is growing, and amateur leagues in different types of sports have proliferated.
What we sometimes do not think about are the risks that may involve the people who participate in these leagues. It is easy for any injury to arise, while training or playing, in fact the frequency of accidents in these leagues is very common. If you are in charge of organizing amateur leagues, you must have an insurance policy that covers the participants of these competitions. And we explain why.
What does sports accident insurance consist of?
If you are an organizer or manage amateur sports leagues, competitions, leagues or tournaments, it is important that you take out insurance to cover injuries, so that any accident does not sour your activity.
Did you know that a knee operation can cost more than €3,000? It is essential that in case of any unforeseen event you have insurance to cover medical expenses.
In this way, not only will you have peace of mind, but you will also offer safety and quality of service to the participants.
We have already pointed out that the frequency of claims in these leagues is high… and this does not make it easy to find competitive insurance in the market that offers a wide range of guarantees.
This type of insurance is usually taken out by sports federations, amateur clubs or sports associations in general. According to Royal Decree 849/1993, of June 4, 1993, all federated sportsmen and women must have compulsory insurance covering aspects ranging from medical-surgical assistance to expenses arising from rehabilitation, compensation for anatomical losses or medical assistance throughout the country, not to mention assistance in the event of death. This Royal Decree includes what is known as “compulsory sports insurance”.compulsory sports insurance“.
If we are not federated, we can opt for other more general insurance policies:
- Liability insurance
- Accident or disability insurance, in short, insurance to cover injuries in general. What type of coverage does accident insurance have?
- Medical assistance.
- Death by accident.
- Absolute / Partial Permanent Disability due to accident.
We must not lose sight of the fact that an athlete, being federated, must comply with the legislation set forth in the aforementioned royal decree. But in the case that they are not federated, we must look for other types of insurance that cover with total guarantee to the participants. Does all this generate doubts to you? In PIB Group Iberia we facilitate the management of your insurance, so that you can focus on what is important.
How are these soccer tournament insurances used?
As it is the organization in charge of the league, or the federation, that is responsible for contracting the insurance, they will be responsible for its management in the event of any incident.
Like any other insurance, in the event of an injury during a match, you should go to one of the medical centers arranged by the company. To do so, it is convenient to know the policy number and the insurance company that covers the league. In any match we must have this information at hand. It would be convenient for the referees to be informed about it.
At the same time, the same referee must record in the minutes that there has been an injury during the same. It is good to do so, in case the company wants to check later, avoiding cases of fraud.
What is NOT covered by these sports accident insurances?
As accident policies are regulated by the Insurance Contract Law, we must abide by the definition of accident contained therein. And it is a different definition from the one provided by the RAE (Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences).
In this sense, for example, cases such as tendinitis, osteoporosis or bursitis are not covered by these insurances.
That is to say, the coverage will be applied when we talk about: “bodily injury resulting from a sudden, violent, external cause beyond the insured’s control”; always in accordance with the terms and conditions of each specific insurance policy.
Is accident insurance mandatory in these leagues?
Actually, insurance is mandatory only in the case of federated athletes. The leagues are required to offer a policy to the participants, but it is still under study to make it mandatory for all of them. And although this would increase the cost of team registrations, it would also offer guarantees that would otherwise remain unclear.
Do you want to know which insurance is right for you? Contact us and we will help you to make your amateur league the safest of all competitions.
