Insurance, Waivers, and Liability for Club Tournament Directors
Insurance and waivers are not optional. Here's what club tournament directors need to know about liability in 2026.
This isn't legal advice, but it's close enough to save you a lawsuit. Tournament directors need three things in writing before the first whistle.
1. Event insurance
Most sanctioning bodies (USAV, USA Hockey, Pop Warner) offer event insurance as part of the sanction. If they don't, Sadler or K&K offer standalone event policies starting around $200.
2. E-signed waivers
Collect waivers at registration. Electronic signatures are legally binding in all 50 states under the ESIGN Act. Your platform should timestamp and store them.
3. Medical release
Especially for minors. Emergency contact, allergies, and authorization to treat.
Store everything in one place
A year from now when a question comes up, you need to pull a specific family's waiver in 60 seconds. A platform that stores waivers alongside registrations makes that trivial.