The Hartford doesn’t offer umpire insurance online, but a local agency or Tivly may be able to help you find the coverage you need. The following content includes information from various sources and can change over time.
What Is Umpire Insurance?
Umpire insurance, also known as referee insurance, is another name for small business insurance. It’s a package made up of different types of business insurance
coverages that can help protect you from the risks you face as you manage games, travel between fields and interact with players, coaches and crowds.
Common types of coverage that may be part of an umpire insurance plan include:
- Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
- Professional liability insurance
- Commercial property insurance
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer insurance for referees and umpires, we connect you with Tivly, so you can get the coverage you’re looking for.
Why Might You Need Umpire Insurance?
Umpire insurance is a collection of coverages designed to help protect you from liability claims, lawsuits and income loss that could threaten your business. Without coverage, a single incident could leave you paying out of pocket for costly claims.
Umpire insurance can help protect your business from many potential risks, like:
- Physical injury: You collide with a runner during a close call at second base, and they need medical care.
- Legal claims: A coach accuses you of bias against their team and files a formal complaint.
- Missed work: One of your umpires gets hurt and can’t work games for the rest of the season.
Umpire Insurance Coverages
When it comes to protecting yourself as an umpire or referee, you’ll want to ensure you have protection that matches your potential risks. Many umpires have a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) for the peace of mind it can provide. It combines three types of coverage to help protect you from challenges that can commonly come up during normal operations:
General liability insurance helps protect your officiating business from claims that it caused bodily injury or property damage to others. For example, if you’re blamed for damage to a rented facility during a match, this coverage can help with legal costs.
Commercial property insurance helps protect the owned or rented building you operate from, as well as the tools, equipment and inventory you rely on. These can include your:
- Whistles
- Protective equipment, such as masks, chest protectors, shin guards and helmets
- Ball bags
- Cards
Business income insurance helps replace lost income if you can’t operate temporarily because of covered property damage.
It’s important to remember that a BOP won’t cover every kind of claim you could face as an umpire or referee. You may need to get other types of coverage to give your business well-rounded protection, including:
How Much Does Umpire Insurance Cost?
The cost of umpire insurance varies because every professional faces unique risks. Although The Hartford doesn’t offer coverage for umpires or referees, here are the average costs our small business customers pay for common types of insurance. You can use these amounts to help estimate your costs:**
- BOP: $1,687 a year, or about $141 a month
- Stand-alone general liability insurance: $810 a year, or about $68 a month
- Workers’ compensation insurance: $1,032 a year, or $86 a month
- Professional liability insurance: $744 a year, or $62 a month1
Insurance companies consider several factors when determining your coverage cost, including:
- Number of employees
- Location of your business
- Type of coverage
- Your claims history
- The limits you select for your coverage
To find out your specific umpire insurance costs, get a free quote online through Tivly.
General Liability Insurance
“A batter rolled their ankle over a baseball I’d left next to me in the batter’s box. They couldn’t get up and needed to be taken to the hospital.”
General liability helps cover claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
Business Income Insurance
“Someone broke into our storage unit and stole our equipment and gear. I couldn’t give my umpires what they needed for a tournament, so we had to refund the money we were paid.”
Business income insurance helps replace lost income if you can’t operate temporarily because of covered property damage. It can help pay for operating costs, like payroll and utility bills.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
“One of my referees tripped over a soccer player while running down the field. He ended up with a severe ankle sprain and couldn’t work for a few weeks while it healed.”
Workers’ compensation insurance can help your umpires, referees and other employees heal from a work-related injury or illness. Most states require this coverage if you have employees.
Professional Liability Insurance
“A parent said my miscall led to unnecessary play, and their child got hurt because the game wasn’t stopped in time.”
Professional liability insurance helps protect you from claims that you made an error in your professional services. It can help pay attorney fees or other court-related costs if you’re sued.
Commercial Property Insurance
“A fire broke out in my building, damaging our equipment and supplies.”
Commercial property insurance helps protect your business' equipment, furniture and inventory from loss or damage caused by events like storms, fires or vandalism.
Commercial Auto Insurance
“My office manager was on the way to pick up additional supplies we needed for an upcoming tournament. She accidentally backed up into the building, damaging the wall.”
Commercial auto insurance can help cover property damage and bodily injury claims if an employee gets into an accident while driving a business-owned vehicle for work.
Get a Quote for Umpire Insurance Options
Find the coverage you need to keep your head in the game. Get a quote through Tivly.
Last Updated: January 8, 2026
1 What you pay for professional liability insurance will vary by product, limits chosen and risk class or hazard group associated with your business.
2 The Hartford, “Water and Freezing Damage, Burglary Lead The Hartford’s Top Five Small-Business Claims”
3 Apunts Sports Medicine, “Incidence of Injuries Per 1,000 Hours of Refereeing or Training in Soccer Referees: A Mini-Review”
4 National Fire Protection Association, “Fire Loss in the United States”
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
The Hartford does not currently have a product available to provide the coverage described on this page. You are being referred to Tivly in an effort to connect you with a carrier who may provide this coverage. This link will redirect you to a third-party website, owned and operated by an independent party ("Tivly"). Any link you make to or from the Tivly website will be at your own risk. Any use of the Tivly website will be subject to and any information you provide will be governed by the terms of the Tivly website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. The Hartford and its affiliates (collectively "The Hartford") do not endorse or approve and make no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of the Tivly website. The Hartford assumes no liability for loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from your access to the Tivly website or any information that you may provide on the Tivly website.
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