Sport and play · equipment · items in your charge
Sport and hobbies: what you are and are not covered for
In sport and hobbies a different standard of liability applies than in everyday life, and your own equipment often falls outside contents cover.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Sport en hobby: waarvoor u wel en niet verzekerd bent.
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In brief
In a sport and play situation the bar for liability is higher than outside it. Participants accept from one another a degree of risk-creating behaviour that would be wrongful in ordinary life: a sliding tackle, a collision during a match or a mishit ball does not automatically amount to a wrongful act within the meaning of Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Only where conduct clearly falls outside normal participation does liability come into play. For your personal liability insurance that means: the insurer will first dispute that you are liable.
If you are driving or sailing, different rules apply. Damage involving a motor vehicle, including a quad bike, motocross bike or speed pedelec, falls outside the AVP; the compulsory insurance under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)exists for that. If you keep a horse, you are strictly liable as its keeper under Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code, even if the animal takes fright unexpectedly and you are not at fault. That is one of the few situations in which liability is established without fault having to be proved.
Your own equipment is a separate question. A vaulting pole, a surfboard, golf clubs, a telescope or a model aircraft usually fall at home under the home contents insurance, but away from home often not, or only to a limited extent. Separate cover exists for hobby and sports equipment. For expensive kit, a valuables insurance may be more appropriate; for an expensive bicycle, a bicycle insurance. You can read more about how these fit together under sport and your insurance.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare personal liability insurance (AVP).
What to look out for
Four points that lead to a refusal more often in sport and hobbies than people expect.
Borrowed and hired equipment
If you damage a borrowed racing boat, hired skis or a club member's camera, the care, custody and control exclusion under the AVP applies. Items in your charge that you do not own are excluded. Some policies have a limited exception; that is then stated in so many words in the conditions and not in the brochure.
Competitions and speed trials
Taking part in speed events, climbing and diving expeditions or motorised competitions is often excluded under travel, personal accident and liability policies, or covered only for an additional premium. Risk sports such as parachuting, kitesurfing and mountaineering also regularly appear on the list of exclusions. Check this before you enter.
Your own injury is not a liability claim
If you are injured yourself without anyone else being liable, no liability insurance pays. A family personal accident insuranceexists for that, paying an amount in the event of permanent injury or death, regardless of fault. Loss of income through long-term injury is a third question, with cover of its own.
Voluntary work and club duties
If you act as a coach, board member or equipment manager, that is not always private. Many clubs have their own liability and directors' cover, and a local authority volunteers' scheme can work alongside it. Establish in advance who is insured for what; the AVP covers private life only and no business or professional activities.
What does your premium depend on?
- Type of sport or hobby — risk sports weigh more heavily than indoor sport
- Value of the plant — determines the sum insured
- Area of cover — the Netherlands only, Europe or worldwide
- Household composition — under the liability cover
- Excess — a higher excess lowers the premium
- Storage and security — where the equipment is kept when not in use
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Your child breaks the umpire's glasses while playing baseball | Yes | Yes |
| Your drone hits the conservatory window of a house on landing | Provided that | Yes |
| Your racing bike is stolen from the storage area at the sports hall | No | No |
| Your shotgun goes off while you are cleaning it and damages your neighbour's shed | No | Provided that |
| During a skiing holiday in Austria you knock over another skier, who is injured | Provided that | Yes |
| Your six-metre sailing boat damages another boat while mooring | No | Provided that |
For the equipment itself, such as the stolen bicycle, separate cover is needed; liability insurance never reimburses your own belongings.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
My ball went through the neighbours' window. Is that covered?
Usually yes. Damage to a third party's property that you cause while playing falls under personal liability insurance, provided you are liable. If the window belonged to a fellow player or to someone on whose land you were playing without permission, the assessment can turn out differently. Report the damage and let the insurer assess liability.
I have injured a fellow player. Am I liable?
Not readily. In sport and play situations a higher threshold applies, because participants accept an increased risk of unfortunate conduct. Only if you have clearly acted outside the rules and outside the normal course of play can liability arise. Report the liability claim and admit nothing yourself before the insurer has responded.
Does my sports equipment fall under my home contents insurance?
Within the home, generally yes. Away from home, cover is often limited to theft following forced entry or absent altogether, and equipment you routinely keep elsewhere usually falls outside it. For expensive or heavily used equipment, separate cover for hobby and sports equipment or valuables insurance is generally the better solution.
Is my e-bike or speed pedelec covered under the AVP?
An ordinary electric bicycle with pedal assistance up to 25 kilometres per hour generally falls under liability insurance. A speed pedelec is a moped and has a registration number; separate insurance is compulsory for it under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). Theft of and damage to the bicycle itself also always call for separate bicycle cover.