Dodgeball Arena & Sports Facility Insurance (UK): A Practical 2026 Guide

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Dodgeball Arena & Sports Facility Insurance (UK): A Practical 2026 Guide

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Dodgeball Arena & Sports Facility Insurance (UK): A Practical 2026 Guide

Introduction

Dodgeball has moved from school gym halls to dedicated arenas, leagues, corporate events and kids’ parties. If you run a dodgeball venue—whether it’s a standalone arena, part of a multi-sport centre, or a “competitive socialising” concept—your risk profile is more complex than a standard leisure facility.

You’ve got fast-moving play, high footfall, mixed age groups, spectators, tournaments, coaches, referees, bar/café operations, and often a heavy reliance on bookings and events for revenue. One incident can lead to injury claims, property damage, cancelled sessions, reputational issues, and lost income.

This guide explains the core insurance covers UK dodgeball arenas typically need, how insurers assess your risk, and the practical steps that can make your policy more effective (and often more affordable).

Why dodgeball arenas are seen as a higher-risk sports facility

Insurers don’t just look at “dodgeball” as a sport—they look at the environment you operate in.

Common risk factors include:

  • High-velocity impacts: Even with soft balls, facial injuries, finger injuries and falls can happen.

  • Mixed abilities and ages: Adults, juniors, school groups and corporate teams create variable risk.

  • Crowd and spectator exposure: Busy reception areas, viewing zones and party rooms increase slip/trip hazards.

  • Event-led revenue: Tournaments and private hires can create peak-risk days and business interruption exposure.

  • Equipment and fit-out: Netting, barriers, flooring, lighting rigs, audio systems, scoreboards and seating add property risk.

  • Staff-led activities: Coaching, refereeing and supervision create professional duty-of-care exposure.

The core insurance covers for a dodgeball arena

Most UK dodgeball venues arrange insurance as a package (often a sports facility or leisure centre policy) with optional add-ons.

1) Public liability insurance

Public liability covers compensation and legal costs if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged due to your negligence.

For dodgeball arenas, this can include:

  • A spectator slips on a spilled drink in the viewing area

  • A child trips over loose flooring edging

  • A ball leaves the court and hits someone in a non-play area

  • A customer’s phone is damaged due to a facility issue

Typical limits: Many venues choose £2m–£10m depending on footfall, contracts, and landlord requirements.

What to watch:

  • Make sure the policy includes participant-to-participant and participant injury scenarios where relevant (wording varies).

  • Check whether events, tournaments, and off-site activities are included.

  • Confirm cover for bouncy castles/party add-ons if you offer them.

2) Employers’ liability insurance (legal requirement)

If you employ anyone—even part-time, casual, or volunteer roles in many cases—you’ll usually need employers’ liability. It covers injury or illness claims from employees arising out of their work.

Examples:

  • A staff member strains their back moving barriers or equipment

  • A coach is hit during a demonstration

  • A cleaner slips while mopping changing rooms

Typical limit: Commonly £10m in the UK.

3) Professional indemnity / instructors’ liability (where applicable)

If you provide coaching, training, structured sessions, or advice, you may need professional indemnity (sometimes packaged as instructors’ liability).

Examples:

  • A participant alleges poor supervision or unsafe instruction led to injury

  • A referee’s decision or event management is alleged to have caused harm

  • A school group claims inadequate risk assessment for juniors

Even where public liability is strong, professional indemnity can be crucial when the allegation is about professional duty rather than premises safety.

4) Property insurance (buildings, contents, and equipment)

If you own the building, you’ll need buildings insurance. If you rent, your landlord may insure the building but you’ll likely need tenants’ improvements and contents cover.

For dodgeball arenas, contents/equipment can include:

  • Court flooring, netting, barriers, wall padding

  • Lighting, audio, scoreboards, CCTV

  • Reception fit-out, POS systems, computers

  • Café/bar equipment and stock

  • Lockers, benches, seating

Key points:

  • Insure on the correct basis (reinstatement/new-for-old where available).

  • Consider accidental damage for high-traffic venues.

  • Check theft conditions (alarm requirements, locks, CCTV).

5) Business interruption insurance

Business interruption (BI) covers lost gross profit/revenue and certain increased costs if you can’t trade due to an insured event (like fire, flood, or major damage).

For a dodgeball arena, BI can be the difference between reopening and closing.

Common triggers:

  • Fire in reception/café causes smoke damage and closure

  • Flood damages flooring and electrics

  • Major escape of water damages courts and changing rooms

What to set correctly:

  • Indemnity period: Often 12 months; some venues need 18–24 months.

  • Sum insured: Based on gross profit (not just turnover).

6) Equipment breakdown (optional but valuable)

If you rely on electrical systems, HVAC, lighting rigs, or specialised equipment, equipment breakdown can cover sudden mechanical/electrical failure.

This can help with:

  • Replacement/repair costs

  • Sometimes BI linked to breakdown (depending on wording)

7) Money and theft cover

If you take cash, keep floats, or hold cash for events:

  • Money in transit (to the bank)

  • Money on premises (in safe/till)

Also consider theft cover for:

  • POS devices, tablets

  • Stock (merchandise, café/bar stock)

8) Legal expenses insurance

Legal disputes can arise even without a claim for injury:

  • Employment disputes

  • Contract disputes with suppliers

  • Landlord/tenant disputes

  • Licensing issues

Legal expenses cover can fund legal advice and representation.

9) Cyber insurance (increasingly relevant)

Most arenas take online bookings, store customer data, and use card payments.

Cyber insurance can help with:

  • Data breach response (including GDPR-related costs)

  • Business interruption from cyber incidents

  • Ransomware and system restoration

  • Liability claims

Even small venues can be targeted, especially if you run promotions and collect lots of customer emails.

10) Personal accident cover (optional)

Personal accident can provide fixed benefits for injury to key people (owners, coaches) regardless of fault. It’s not a replacement for liability insurance, but it can help protect cashflow.

Common exclusions and “gotchas” to check

Sports facility policies can look similar on the surface but differ in the details.

Watch for:

  • Participant injury exclusions (or strict conditions)

  • No cover for contact sports or “hazardous activities” definitions that accidentally capture your sessions

  • Age restrictions (e.g., under-8s not covered unless specified)

  • Alcohol-related exclusions if you have a bar or allow BYOB

  • Inflatables/party activities excluded unless declared

  • Heatwork exclusions affecting maintenance/contractors

  • Wear and tear vs accidental damage (property)

  • Unattended vehicle theft exclusions for equipment in transit

If you host leagues, school sessions, or corporate events, make sure those activities are declared and included.

Risk management: what insurers want to see (and what reduces claims)

Good risk management is not just “box ticking”—it can materially improve your terms.

Facility layout and safety controls

  • Clear separation between courts and non-play areas

  • Adequate netting/barriers and maintained wall padding

  • Non-slip flooring and prompt spill management

  • Good lighting levels and emergency lighting

  • Clear signage: rules, warm-up guidance, no jewellery, appropriate footwear

Supervision and staffing

  • Documented staff training (first aid, incident response)

  • Ratios for juniors and school groups

  • Referees/coaches briefed on safe play and conflict management

Waivers and participant declarations

Waivers don’t remove your duty of care, but they can help set expectations and show you’ve communicated risks.

Best practice:

  • Use clear, plain-English waivers

  • Include health questions where appropriate

  • Keep digital records linked to bookings

Equipment standards

  • Use appropriate dodgeballs for the age group

  • Regular inspection logs for balls, nets, barriers, flooring edges

  • Replace damaged items quickly

Incident reporting

  • Maintain an incident book (digital is fine)

  • Record witness details, photos, CCTV retention

  • Report notifiable incidents where required (RIDDOR may apply in some scenarios)

Contractor management

If you use contractors for electrics, HVAC, flooring, or building work:

  • Check their insurance

  • Use permits for hot works

  • Keep maintenance logs

How insurers price dodgeball arena insurance

Premiums are typically influenced by:

  • Turnover and projected revenue

  • Footfall and session volume

  • Age groups served (kids’ parties, schools)

  • Claims history

  • Supervision model (open play vs structured sessions)

  • Alcohol/café operations

  • Building construction, location, flood risk

  • Security (alarms, CCTV, locks)

  • Sum insured for contents and fit-out

The more clearly you can present your operation—especially supervision, safety rules, and incident processes—the easier it is to get accurate cover.

What to prepare before requesting a quote

Having the right information speeds up quoting and reduces back-and-forth.

Checklist:

  • Business description and activities (including events, leagues, parties)

  • Address, building details, and security measures

  • Estimated annual turnover and payroll

  • Peak capacity and average weekly footfall

  • Age ranges and any under-16 sessions

  • Staff qualifications (first aid, coaching)

  • Risk assessments and safety procedures

  • Claims history (if any)

  • Property sums insured (contents, tenants’ improvements)

  • Any subcontractors or freelance coaches

Example insurance package for a typical UK dodgeball arena

Every venue is different, but a common structure might include:

  • Public liability: £5m

  • Employers’ liability: £10m

  • Professional indemnity/instructors’ liability: £1m

  • Contents and equipment: tailored to replacement cost

  • Business interruption: 12–24 months indemnity period

  • Legal expenses: included or add-on

  • Cyber: add-on if taking online bookings and storing customer data

The right limits depend on your contracts, landlord requirements, and the size of your events.

Claims scenarios (real-world style examples)

Scenario 1: Injury during a corporate tournament

A participant collides with another player while chasing a ball and fractures a wrist. They allege poor supervision and inadequate briefing.

Potential response:

  • Public liability and/or instructors’ liability may respond, depending on allegations and policy wording.

  • Your incident report, briefing records, and CCTV can be key evidence.

Scenario 2: Escape of water damages the courts

A burst pipe overnight damages flooring and electrics. You close for three weeks.

Potential response:

  • Property insurance covers repairs (subject to terms/excess).

  • Business interruption covers lost income and some increased costs (e.g., temporary relocation of sessions) if included.

Scenario 3: Data breach from booking system

A compromised admin account leads to customer data exposure.

Potential response:

  • Cyber cover can fund incident response, notifications, and system restoration.

FAQs: dodgeball arena insurance

Do I need sports insurance if I already have public liability?

Public liability is usually essential, but many dodgeball venues also need employers’ liability (if you have staff) and may benefit from instructors’ liability/professional indemnity if you coach or supervise structured sessions.

Are participant injuries covered?

Sometimes, but it depends on the wording and how the claim arises. Some policies restrict participant-to-participant claims or require specific extensions. Always confirm this explicitly.

What if I rent a unit—do I still need property cover?

Yes. Even if the landlord insures the building, you may need cover for contents, stock, and tenants’ improvements, plus business interruption.

Does insurance cover kids’ parties and school bookings?

Often yes, but these should be declared. Some insurers apply age restrictions or require additional supervision controls.

Will a waiver stop claims?

No. A waiver doesn’t remove your duty of care, but it can help show that risks were explained and rules were accepted.

Do I need separate insurance for events and tournaments?

Not always, but you must disclose them. Some policies include events automatically; others require you to specify frequency, attendance, and whether you use external venues.

A practical next step

If you run a dodgeball arena, the goal is simple: protect people, protect the venue, and protect your income.

A well-built sports facility insurance package typically combines public liability, employers’ liability, property and business interruption—then adds the extras that match how you actually operate (coaching, events, cyber, legal expenses).

If you’d like, share a quick outline of your venue (location, capacity, whether you serve kids’ parties, and whether you have a café/bar) and I can suggest a clean “quote-ready” list of details to send to insurers—plus a short website CTA section to convert visitors into enquiries.

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