Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association, Inc. (Mass Youth Soccer) maintains insurance for its Membership. Insurance coverage through Massachusetts Youth Soccer, both general liability and medical, extends only to soccer-related events that are fully recognized and sanctioned by Mass Youth Soccer.
For details on the coverage included in the Massachusetts Youth Soccer insurance policies listed below click on the link below and if you have specific questions please email Carol Ann Buono at cbuono@mayouthsoccer.org
Mass Youth Soccer 2023-2024 Outline of Insurance Policies
Excess Soccer Accident Medical Expense Benefits – In tab below (Information for Parents/Organizations looking to make a medical expense claim)
To be covered by Massachusetts Youth Soccer insurance, a player, team, coach and/or organization:
MUST be registered and affiliated with Massachusetts Youth Soccer. This means that they must be properly registered with a Massachusetts Youth Soccer member organization and this registration data must be uploaded to the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association’s Registrar.
MUST be engaged in a soccer-related event.
MUST be engaged in a soccer-related event that is sanctioned by Massachusetts Youth Soccer or by a Youth Council member in good standing with U.S. Soccer (i.e. US Club Soccer, AYSO, SAY, USASA).
Examples of soccer-related events that ARE sanctioned by Massachusetts Youth Soccer:
– Training sessions and practices that are conducted in the normal course of a team’s play. Even training sessions or practices conducted at indoor facilities are considered fully sanctioned.
– Competitions in a League sanctioned by Massachusetts Youth Soccer are covered.
– Competitions in a Tournament sanctioned by Massachusetts Youth Soccer are covered.
– Competitions in recognized leagues in an approved facility by Massachusetts Youth Soccer are covered. (Scroll down for more information on indoor soccer policies)
– Soccer Camps that have been approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer. (Scroll down for more information on summer policies)
– Competitions in an out-of-state Tournament that is sanctioned by another U.S. Youth Soccer State Association and for which the team obtains the requisite Permission to Travel from Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
– Competitions in an in or out-of-state tournament that is sanctioned by a US Soccer Youth Council member in good standing with U.S. Soccer (i.e. US Club Soccer, AYSA, SAY, USASA). For out-of-state tournaments teams must obtain the requisite Permission to Travel from Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Examples of soccer events that ARE NOT covered by Massachusetts Youth Soccer insurance policies:
– Competitions in an indoor facility in which such facility has not been recognized and approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
– Competition in an out-of state tournament for which the team did not obtain the requisite permission to travel from Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
– Competition at a tournament that has not been sanctioned by Massachusetts Youth Soccer or by a Youth Council member in good standing with U.S. Soccer (i.e. US Club Soccer, AYSO, SAY, USASA).
– Soccer Camps that have not been recognized and approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer
– Unsanctioned Summer League Play
– Summer pick up soccer
Should anyone ever have any questions on whether a particular soccer activity is covered please contact Carol Ann Buono at cbuono@mayouthsoccer.org
WINTER:
Massachusetts Youth Soccer has expanded its insurance coverage, to benefit our members and cover recognized and approved indoor/winter play. Indoor Soccer & Futsal played in recognized leagues at approved facilities are covered under our insurance program.
The insurance program covers Mass Youth Soccer members (players and adults) who are currently registered and in good standings with their member organization and Mass Youth Soccer. If a team is not comprised fully of Mass Youth soccer members, individuals may register with Mass Youth Soccer for winter play only through the individual soccer registration process on the Mass Youth Soccer website found at: https://fs23.formsite.com/massyouth/0tsowt93ys/index.html
Contact Carol Ann Buono at cbuono@mayouthsoccer.org for any Insurance Claims or questions.
Approved Facilities:
The following types of facilities are automatically considered to be recognized and approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Types of Recognized and Approved Indoor Facilities
Types of Indoor Facilities NOT Recognized and Approved
Member Organization (Towns and Clubs Only) Governance
PAST PRACTICES: In the past all indoor soccer/futsal league play was not under the governance umbrella of Mass Youth Soccer and all member organizations. Essentially, when a coach took a team indoors for the winter they were doing so on their own without any jurisdiction from the organization they may be involved with during the fall and spring seasons as well as without any of the insurance coverages from Mass Youth Soccer.
NEW PRACTICES: Starting this winter (2019-2020) the following changes will now be in effect.
If an adult (typically a coach) puts a team, comprised of all town/club registered players, into an indoor league in a recognized and approved facility type under the approval from their member organization, then the member organization (town/club) must now have governance authority over this adult(s) and players.
SUMMER:
Massachusetts Youth Soccer provides insurance coverage, to benefit our registered members and cover recognized and approved Summer Camps & Clinics. Recognized and Approved Summer camps and clinics are covered under our insurance program as described below.
The insurance program covers Mass Youth Soccer members (players and adults) who are currently registered and in good standings with their member organization and Mass Youth Soccer.
If a camp or clinic attendee/participant is not a registered member of a member organization (town/club) and Mass Youth, they will not be covered by our insurance program. The act of registering with a camp or clinic provider to attend a camp or clinic does not provide nonmembers with Mass Youth Soccer insurance coverage.
Approved Camps and Clinics:
The following types of camps and clinics that are considered to be recognized and approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Types of Recognized and Approved Camps Provided by Non-member Organizations
Types of Recognized and Approved Camps Provided by Member Organizations
Types of Recognized and Approved Clinics Provided by Member Organizations
The information provided above for Recognized and Approved Camps is the same for clinics except that clinics do not need to meet Massachusetts Department of Public Health requirements for Camps.
More information about the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s definition of a recreational camp for children and specific provisions for its licensure are found in regulation 105 CMR 430.000
Contact Carol Ann Buono at cbuono@mayouthsoccer.org for any Insurance Claims or questions.
CLAIM PROCEDURES
Claim forms are available through Mass Youth Soccer and are also available on this web site. In the event of injury requiring medical treatment, the Covered Person should fully complete a claim form, have it verified by a witness from the member organization, who is not a relative of the claimant, and submit it to Mass Youth Soccer, Attn: Carol Ann Buono. Notice of claim must be filed within 30 days from the date of injury, unless it can be demonstrated that it was not reasonably possible to do so. Do not wait until all of the medical bills have been received – to initiate the claim, submit all of the appropriate documents within 30 days. Since the Mass Youth Soccer Plan is provided on an “excess” basis, all medical and/or dental charges must first be submitted to any other medical insurance carrier or provider available to the participant. Detailed claim instructions can be found on the claim form.
SUMMARY OF COVERAGE
The following summary applies to the Excess Soccer Accident Medical Benefit Plan that is provided by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (Mass Youth Soccer). This plan is self-funded. All Plan benefits are provided by Mass Youth Soccer. We reserve the right to utilize a third party to administer the Plan on its behalf, and to make benefit determinations based upon information submitted by Covered Person.
The Massachusetts Youth Soccer Plan is an excess medical plan. This means that the Plan benefits are provided only after all other insurance benefits are paid. These other insurance benefits may be provided on a group or individual basis, and may be provided by a traditional insurance indemnity policy, or by an HMO, PPO or other similar arrangement. Medical or dental expenses on behalf of the Covered Person must be submitted to these plans, and an Explanation of Benefits must be provided to Mass Youth Soccer, before the benefits of this Plan will be determined.
TERM OF COVERAGE
Each soccer year begins on September 1st and runs through the following August 31st.
COVERED PERSONS
All registered and affiliated players, coaches, assistant coaches and other adult volunteers of participating member youth soccer organizations are covered by this program if:
COVERED ACTIVITIES
Covered persons are eligible for Plan benefits for an injury that results, directly and independently of all other causes, from an accident that occurs while participating in any of the following covered activities:
LIMITED COVERAGE
When a member has a primary insurance carrier and elects to seek treatment from a facility that is either not covered or only partially covered by that insurance carrier, Massachusetts Youth Soccer will not cover any additional cost over and above what would have been paid had that member stayed within his or her primary insurance plan. It will be the member’s responsibility to provide the documentation proving the coverage amount of his/her insurance carrier.
EXCESS SOCCER ACCIDENT MEDICAL EXPENSE BENEFITS
For reasonable and necessary medical expenses, as determined by Massachusetts Youth Soccer or an approved administrator, the Plan will pay up to $100,000 for injuries sustained in a Covered Activity. Dental injuries are treated like any other injury.
Benefits are paid only after all other insurance benefits have been paid, and then only to the extent any applicable Plan deductible has been satisfied. The current Plan deductibles are: $750 (carry primary insurance) & $1500 (no primary insurance) for both medical and dental expenses. If the Covered Person incurs both medical and dental expenses in the same accident, both deductibles apply.
To be eligible for payment, the first expense relating to the accident must be incurred within eight (8) weeks of the date of the accident. No benefit will be paid for any expense that is incurred more than 104 weeks after the date of the accident. An expense is considered to be incurred on the date the medical or dental care is given to the Covered Person.
WHAT IS NOT COVERED
The Plan does not provide coverage for:
When organizations rent or reserve fields or facilities, the owner (e.g. town or facility owner) often asks for proof of insurance from the organization. The form used to provide such proof of insurance is a Certificate of Insurance. The Certificate of Insurance can be obtained directly from Massachusetts Youth Soccer and will typically take 2-3 days to process, so please plan ahead!
Only the President or the Registrar of an affiliated youth soccer organization can request a Certificate of Insurance from our office.
Please note: This certificate is for games and practices involving the affiliated organization ONLY. Insurance coverage does NOT extend to any events not sanctioned or acknowledged as approved for coverage by Massachusetts Youth Soccer. We will not provide this certificate unless your organization is affiliated with Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
If you have any questions you can reach Rachel Woo at RWoo@mayouthsoccer.org or by phone at 978/466-8812 x236.
Please note due to a change in portal/agency, Certificates of Insurance will be emailed from Players Health Certificates. Please check your email spam / promotions folders as emails with attachments may be filtered until listed as a safe sender. During the first few weeks of the season, COI requests can take 5-7 business days for processing.
WINTER:
Effective December, 2019, Massachusetts Youth Soccer expanded its insurance coverage, to benefit our members and cover recognized and approved indoor/winter play. Indoor Soccer & Futsal played in recognized leagues at approved facilities are covered under our insurance program.
The insurance program covers Mass Youth Soccer members (players and adults) who are currently registered and in good standings with their member organization and Mass Youth Soccer. If a team is not comprised fully of Mass Youth soccer members, individuals may register with Mass Youth Soccer for winter play only through the individual soccer registration process on the Mass Youth Soccer website found at: https://fs23.formsite.com/massyouth/0tsowt93ys/index.html
Contact Carol Ann Buono at cbuono@mayouthsoccer.org for any Insurance Claims or questions.
Approved Facilities:
The following types of facilities are automatically considered to be recognized and approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Types of Recognized and Approved Indoor Facilities
Types of Indoor Facilities NOT Recognized and Approved
Member Organization (Towns and Clubs Only) Governance
Effective December 2019 the following is now in effect.
If an adult (typically a coach) puts a team, comprised of all town/club registered players, into an indoor league in a recognized and approved facility type under the approval from their member organization, then the member organization (town/club) must now have governance authority over this adult(s) and players.
SUMMER:
Massachusetts Youth Soccer provides insurance coverage, to benefit our registered members and cover recognized and approved Summer Camps & Clinics. Recognized and Approved Summer camps and clinics are covered under our insurance program as described below.
The insurance program covers Mass Youth Soccer members (players and adults) who are currently registered and in good standings with their member organization and Mass Youth Soccer.
If a camp or clinic attendee/participant is not a registered member of a member organization (town/club) and Mass Youth, they will not be covered by our insurance program. The act of registering with a camp or clinic provider to attend a camp or clinic does not provide nonmembers with Mass Youth Soccer insurance coverage.
Approved Camps and Clinics:
The following types of camps and clinics that are considered to be recognized and approved by Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Types of Recognized and Approved Camps Provided by Non-member Organizations
Types of Recognized and Approved Camps Provided by Member Organizations
Types of Recognized and Approved Clinics Provided by Member Organizations
The information provided above for Recognized and Approved Camps is the same for clinics except that clinics do not need to meet Massachusetts Department of Public Health requirements for Camps.
More information about the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s definition of a recreational camp for children and specific provisions for its licensure are found in regulation 105 CMR 430.000
Contact Carol Ann Buono at cbuono@mayouthsoccer.org for any Insurance Claims or questions.