This document aims to clarify the reasons why, in the activities of federated clubs, it is requested to be federated and insured with very specific coverages.

First of all, it is necessary to clarify that, to practice any outdoor sport on an individual basis (other than an activity organized by any entity or company), no type of mandatory insurance is necessary. When asked to clarify the issue, the Generalitat’s response was to recommend having civil liability insurance (CLI), but in no case is it mandatory. In fact, article 151.6 of Decree 58/2010 states:

Self-employed practitioners of physical activity in an unorganized manner are excluded from accrediting the sports license.

What happens when you want to participate in a club event (competitive or non-competitive).

Here things change a lot.

The regulations that regulate the coverage of risks in the organization of any physical and sports activity by sports entities in Catalonia are Decree 58/2010, of May 4.

In this link you have the articles where insurance is mentioned, but I ask you to pay attention to article 152.2, which says that if the injured person does not have insurance with the minimum coverage, the organizing entity (the club, that is, the club board) will take care of the expenses. A club is not a limited company, and it is the members of the board who would respond with their assets. Here’s the key, this is the reason why clubs ask or should ask that all participants be insured.

You will also see that clubs are required to require a sports license (Article 149.3) and to admit participants with insurance equal to or greater than the minimum insurance (Article 152.4). This is where the “trap” lies: the minimum insurance required in Royal Decree 849/1993, of June 4, requires benefits that no insurance company wants to assume. The most difficult for any company to match is the one requested in the fourth point:

  1. HEALTH CARE:

As a result of a sports accident with the following conditions:

  • Medical, surgical and pharmaceutical assistance (in hospital), in accidents occurring in Spain, for a period of 18 months and in an amount: UNLIMITED
  • The rehabilitation treatments necessary as a result of an accident covered by the policy, for a period of eighteen months from the date of occurrence of the accident, and in an amount: UNLIMITED

As you can imagine, the medical cost of a major injury involving multiple operations, hospitalization, and rehabilitation is not covered by any other insurance (the French mountaineering insurance of 2024 had medical coverage of approximately 3,000 euros). The minimum coverages are available at this link, updated in euros.

We would appreciate your understanding of these circumstances that force us to enforce a rule that we do not have to share. The organizers do a job for which they ask nothing and are happy if the event goes well and people enjoy it. What doesn’t seem fair to ask is that they assume risks that, even if they are not highly probable, could cause very serious harm.

We hope that with this exhibition it becomes clear that it is not the federation or the clubs that want this to be the case, but they do have to assume compliance with the rule.

Hello, good and safe flights.