Referee & Officials Cover
Specialist Public Liability For BMABA-Qualified Referees, Judges & Ring Officials. Not Sold At The Door.
The Cover Most Referees Don’t Realise They’re Missing
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most event insurance policies won’t include cover for the referee. Event public liability protects the organiser; the official in the middle of the ring is usually expected to carry their own. Our own event policy is explicit about it too: referee liability is only covered where the official is BMABA qualified. Officiate without your own cover in place, and you’re standing in the middle of a full contact bout carrying the risk personally.
Our Referee Cover fixes that properly. It’s a specialist extension to your instructor insurance, underwritten by AXA XL Insurance Company UK Limited and accessed through our FCA-authorised broker, providing £5,000,000 or £10,000,000 of Public Liability while you referee, judge, or officiate at sanctioned events.
And because good officiating is a safety matter, not a paperwork matter, it’s deliberately not something you can buy on application. It stacks on top of an active named instructor policy and is strictly subject to completing the BMABA EventReady CPD and BMABA referee qualification. That gate is the point: it’s why insurers, event organisers, and fighters can trust a BMABA-badged official.
Start With Free Membership
- £5,000,000 Or £10,000,000 Public LiabilityChoose your limit of indemnity as an annual extension: £40 per year at £5,000,000 or £65 per year at £10,000,000, with monthly billing available.
- Cover Most Officials Don’t HaveMost event policies protect the organiser, not the referee. Under our own event policy, officials are covered only where BMABA qualified, and our Referee Cover completes the picture with dedicated liability protection of your own.
- Built On Real QualificationStrictly subject to the BMABA EventReady CPD and BMABA referee qualification, free with Silver and Gold membership, so cover always sits on demonstrated competence.
- Optional Personal Accident For YouThe liability cover protects others from your mistakes; optional Personal Accident protects you, with weekly injury benefit, broken bones, dental, physiotherapy and hospital cash benefits available from £3.99.
You Can’t Buy This At The Door. That’s The Point.
Anyone can sell a certificate. We’d rather stand behind officials we’ve trained, assessed, and verified. Referee Cover is only available to insured BMABA members who hold our referee qualification and EventReady CPD, which is exactly why our underwriter is comfortable extending dedicated cover to our officials at all. If you’re serious about officiating, the path starts with free membership, and our team will happily talk you through it.
Multi-Award Winning & Nationally Recognised
The Path To The Centre Of The Ring
Four steps, in order. No shortcuts, because the absence of shortcuts is what makes the cover trustworthy.
- 1Join BMABA & Take Named Instructor InsuranceReferee Cover is an extension, so an active named instructor policy on your account is a must. Membership itself is free to start.
- 2Complete EventReady & The Referee QualificationBoth CPD programmes are included free with Silver and Gold membership, or available to add on Bronze.
- 3Add Referee Cover To Your PolicyChoose £5,000,000 at £40 per year or £10,000,000 at £65 per year, applied as an annual extension with monthly billing available.
- 4Officiate, Covered & VerifiedReferee sanctioned events as a BMABA-verified official, with your qualification and cover checkable by any organiser.
All bouts at licensed events must be officiated by qualified, experienced referees verified by BMABA, and competitive full contact events require a qualified referee.
Two Limits, One Simple Price
Both options are annual extensions on top of your named instructor policy.
£5,000,000 Public Liability
£40.00 per year or £3.90 per month
The right fit for most club and regional officials: £5,000,000 of Public Liability while refereeing, judging or officiating at sanctioned events, matching the limit carried by the event policy itself.
Join To Unlock£10,000,000 Public Liability
£65.00 per year or £6.34 per month
For senior officials, national-level competition, or venues and promoters that specify a higher limit: the same cover with the limit of indemnity doubled to £10,000,000.
Join To UnlockTrained, Assessed & Verified, Not Just Insured
Two CPD programmes gate this cover, both included free with Silver and Gold membership. This is not an administrative hurdle: our event conditions exclude referee liability unless the official is BMABA qualified, so the training and the cover are two halves of the same thing.
BMABA Referee Qualification (NROA)
Our national officiating qualification: rules application, bout control, fighter safety, stoppages and decision-making, assessed to the standards in our National Refereeing and Officiating Standards framework. Thirty-eight lessons across eight modules, ending in a final examination. Completion is a strict condition of Referee Cover.
Explore the NROA award → RequiredEvent-Ready CPD
The event management and safety qualification behind our Event Ready licensing framework: compliance, medical provision, safeguarding and event-day governance, so officials understand the whole safety system they operate within.
Explore Event-Ready →Optional Personal Accident, For The Official Themselves
Liability cover protects others; Personal Accident protects you. Referees are named insured persons under our group PA certificate, served under our group Personal Accident arrangement.
Bronze
£3.99per person, per year£100 per week temporary total disablement benefit following an eligible accident.
Silver
£7.50per person, per yearEverything in Bronze, with the weekly benefit increased to £150.
Gold
£11.50per person, per yearEverything in Bronze, with the weekly benefit increased to £200.
All tiers include accidental death and permanent total disablement benefits of £25,000, hospital cash of £25 per day for up to 14 days, broken bones benefit of £100 per bone up to £300, physiotherapy up to 10 sessions and £350, and dental treatment up to £250. Weekly benefit is £50 for those not in full-time employment, cover ends at age 70, pre-existing conditions are excluded, and a £100,000 aggregate applies to any one incident. Full detail: Personal Accident Cover Overview.
The Fine Print, In Plain Sight
Straight from the master policy schedule, because officials deserve to know exactly where they stand.
Conditions Of Cover
- An active named instructor policy on your account
- BMABA referee qualification and EventReady CPD completed
- Officiating at events run to National Governing Body rules
- Bouts verified by BMABA, with qualified referees for full contact
- UK events, within the 500 spectator and 250 participant limits
What Isn’t Covered
- Under our event policy, referees without a BMABA qualification
- Participant-to-participant claims within contact situations; officials count as participants
- Your own injuries, that’s what the optional Personal Accident cover is for
- Professional, semi-professional and prize fights; amateur events only
Cover operates under our AXA XL master policy, arranged through our FCA-authorised specialist broker. Certificates and verification are available to any event organiser on request.
Questions Officials Ask Us
Can I just buy referee insurance from you without joining?
No, and deliberately so. Referee Cover is an extension to an active named instructor policy, gated behind our referee qualification and EventReady CPD. That structure is precisely what lets our underwriter offer officials dedicated cover on these terms at all. Join free to explore the pathway, or talk with the team first; there’s no obligation either way.
I already referee under another organisation’s qualification. Does that count?
For cover under our policy, the condition is a BMABA qualification specifically. We’re always happy to discuss recognition of prior learning and experience within the qualification itself, so experienced officials typically find the pathway quick rather than repetitive.
Why do I need instructor insurance to referee?
Because the referee extension is written on top of the named instructor policy under our master policy structure; it isn’t a standalone product. It also means every covered official carries full instructor-grade Public Liability, Professional Indemnity and the wider protections alongside their officiating cover.
Does Referee Cover protect me if I get injured?
No, it’s liability cover: it protects you if a third party holds you responsible for injury or damage. Your own injuries are what the optional Personal Accident cover is for, from £3.99 per year, with weekly benefit, broken bones, dental, physiotherapy and hospital cash benefits.
Which limit should I choose?
£5,000,000 matches the event policy’s own limit and satisfies most club and regional events. Some venues, promoters and higher-profile competitions specify £10,000,000; if you officiate at that level, the enhanced option exists for exactly that reason. We can’t advise on suitability individually, but the team can talk through what events typically require.
Is the qualification really free?
With Silver and Gold membership, yes: both the referee qualification and EventReady CPD are included. Bronze members can add the training at the published CPD pricing. The cover extension itself is always priced separately at £40 or £65 per year.
Ministerial Commendation And Parliamentary Recognition
“Organisations such as the British Martial Arts and Boxing Association support unaffiliated martial arts providers to adopt the safeguarding code… Providers with recognition under the code can display a logo on their promotional materials to show participants that their safety measures have been vetted.”
BMABA CIC has been recognised at the highest levels of Government for our commitment to safeguarding in martial arts. During a House of Commons debate on combat sport safety, the Minister for Sport, Stephanie Peacock MP, highlighted the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association by name for our work in supporting independent and unaffiliated clubs to adopt the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts. This direct mention in Parliament demonstrates that our efforts to raise standards and protect participants are shaping the national conversation on safety in combat sports.
Following that debate, the Minister for Sport wrote formally to commend BMABA’s work, praising our role in raising safeguarding standards across the independent martial arts sector. She described our contribution as “extremely useful” to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s ongoing policy development, and thanked us for our ongoing efforts to make martial arts safer for children. This recognition reflects the trust placed in BMABA to help Government address urgent safeguarding challenges highlighted by recent tragedies within combat sports.
For our members and the wider martial arts community, this recognition underlines BMABA’s credibility as a leading voice for independent martial arts in the UK. It demonstrates that our grassroots-driven mission, to promote safe, inclusive, and properly governed martial arts for all, is influencing national policy and gaining ministerial support. Being referenced in Parliament and commended in writing by the Minister for Sport reinforces that BMABA is not just a governing body, but a sector-shaping organisation working to protect participants and secure the future of martial arts.
“I appreciate your ongoing efforts to make martial arts safer for children.”
Real Answers, From The Person Who Built The Cover
Giovanni Soffietto, our CEO, is an expert in policy, governance and insurance, and has spent more than a decade building cover designed around how martial arts is actually taught. These short videos explain exactly how it all works, in plain English.
What Do Our Members Say?
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D Hurt 10 Out Of 10Well I was with another organisation for 4 years and came across these guys. They have great vetting, were really helpful at every stage of my application, the actual app is amazing with training opportunities for members, also student membership. All round 10 out of 10.
Facebook recommendation -
Peter R They Go Above And BeyondBeen a member for a number of years and they go above and beyond to support their members. Everything from safeguarding and legalities to certified courses, websites, club manager software, just to name a few of the benefits.
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Giles H Exemplary OrganisationA huge resource of helpful information and support for those setting up or running a martial arts club. Well put together coaching courses and great safeguarding advice and policies. Really pleased to have access to this exemplary organisation to help me with my new kickboxing club.
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VORTEX Martial Arts & Fitness More Than Just A Governing BodySimply amazing. BMABA are more than just a governing body for martial arts, they are a team of incredible people, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure you feel supported. Incredible customer service, amazing response time, and an honour to be governed by.
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Lena S Professional And High QualityPreviously searched for similar organisations but after speaking to Giovanni over the phone I knew that BMABA was the right one for me. He was very informative, patient and had a lot of time to answer any questions. Extremely reassuring and helpful. Their website and documentation are also very professional and high quality.
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Luke T Far More Helpful Than Any Other AssociationHaving been a part of BMABA for a short while, I can say that already they have been far more helpful than any other association I have been involved in. After 10 years of martial arts, I hope to continue instructing under BMABA for many years.
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Chris J Great People To Work WithGreat people to work with.
Facebook recommendation -
Matt J Can't Rate Them Highly EnoughHaving left my previous association in November, and being very daunted by the prospect of being responsible for all my own compliance and everything else I can honestly say BMABA have made the whole thing possible and even pleasant. The training resources are great, it's been fantastic for me to be able to quickly up skill my team, the insurance is really easy to sort out, the team are super friendly and helpful, the perks on Gold membership are also fantastic.
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John Tomsett Outstanding Club Association and Insurance ProviderI have been a customer of BMABA for two years now, and I am extremely impressed with their services. First and foremost, the customer service provided by BMABA is exceptional. Their team is responsive, professional, and genuinely dedicated to ensuring that our needs are met. Whenever we had a query or require assistance, they responded rapidly and effectively.
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Georgina E Really impressive, 21st century MA organisation. 10/10Found these guys in Martial Arts Illustrated doing a piece on professionalism in martial arts and thought, as an instructor, they might be worth looking at further. Really impressed from the moment I hit their website through to now, 3 months on as a member. Great staff, Giovanni is rediculously knowledgable and our club is now growing under the banner of what has got to be the best martial arts org in the UK.
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Michael Willington Definately recommended. Unbelievable Association.The BMABA are unlike any other org I've come across in this industry. Their honest, professional, politics free and most importantly, they know what they're doing. Website is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest, insurance is comprehensive and their overall customer service is just unlike anything else I've had in 25 years of martial arts. Amazing through and through. Would definitely recommend.
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Jonathan D BMABA – the Martial Arts Association you NEEDI joined the BMABA right in its infancy (I believe I was their second member!). Giovanni is the most helpful, respectful and genuine person who has turned the possibility of a non-political, highly respected and supportive Martial Arts Association into a reality. I could bang on for hours about the BMABA but don't take my word for it – go and visit the BMABA website and see for yourself.
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Fabian Burdett This Team Deserves A MedalAs we all know 2020 has been the year from hell for martial arts. One thing that has come out of that is BMABA have done everything in their power to keep clubs like mine up to date with what's happening and tried to push the government to notice us. Couldn't wish for a better association to be a part of. Once again big THANK YOU to you guys for all the help. 💙🐺👊
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Matthew Robert Cooling-Stones These guys are the real dealAs i'm heading into the brave world of starting up my own small self defence club in our village, i can say with complete honesty and satisfaction that BMABA have been the most supportive and upfront association i have come across. i have seen and had first hand experience with the Mcdojo's offering you the greatest adventures of a life time. but these guys are the real deal… i hold my head high, and say with great pride "i am a BMABA member"
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Anna Martensson Highly IMPRESSED by the BMABAAs someone with 22 years of experience in martial arts, who saw enough big egos and leaders who only look after their own benefits… I am highly IMPRESSED by the BMABA. I wanted to make sure they don't just promise the world but actually deliver. They support us all the way and constantly look for new ways of making our whole industry better for ALL of us. THANK YOU!!
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Adrian Jackson Always quick to respond and thoughtfulAlways quick to respond and thoughtful. Great service delivered at a very reasonable price and very supportive of the community. Been a member for a couple of years now and recommend highly
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Daniel Leaver Simply the best organisation I have ever worked withSimply the best organisation I have ever worked with. Everything is so stress free and I am definitely sticking with them for the rest of my career.
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From A £20 Start-Up To A Nationally Recognised Powerhouse. Built From Scratch, Driven By Purpose. That’s BMABA CIC.
We’re not here because of government grants, NGB status, or Sport England funding. We’re here because thousands of instructors and clubs believed in a better way. BMABA CIC is entirely independent, self-funded, and not-for-profit. We have never taken shortcuts or silver spoons, but we have earned recognition at the highest levels of UK sport, including Sport England, DCMS, and national media, purely on merit. More than £2.4 million generated to date, reinvested into the UK martial arts community.
No gimmicks. No politics. No hidden shareholders.
We built one of the UK’s most trusted martial arts ecosystems from the ground up. A comprehensive, style-agnostic governance system. Sector-leading safeguarding and compliance. Affordable insurance. Free club management software. Dozens of tools, licences, guidance, and expert support, all included, all in one place.
We didn’t inherit a legacy. We forged one.
Whether you’re stepping out for the first time or have always been proudly independent, this is your home. To high places by narrow roads isn’t just a slogan. It’s how we got here.
Earn The Badge. Then Wear The Cover.
Join free today to explore the referee pathway, or talk it through with a real person first. No pressure, no sales scripts.
- £5,000,000 or £10,000,000 Public Liability
- From £40 per year as an extension
- Qualification free with Silver & Gold
- Underwritten by AXA XL Insurance Company UK Limited
- Verified officials, checkable by organisers
- Optional Personal Accident from £3.99
