The Liability Waiver was prepared by a law firm experienced in the field of sports law, as requested by our insurer. The signing of the Waiver is mandatory for membership as it is required to be signed electronically by the member when they first sign into their member profile on the PCO website. It is multi-purpose including:
- Risk awareness – the Waiver reinforces the fact that there are risks associated with playing pickleball as is the case for all sports. Members need to be aware of these risks and take positive action to reduce their likelihood of occurrence by playing safely, within their limits and with proper preparation.
- Preventative – the Waiver conditions reinforce for the member that they should not play in facilities or under conditions that they consider unsafe for them.
- Individual protection – we unfortunately have become a litigious society. With the Waiver being signed by you and all others you’re playing with, it can be used by you and/or the insurance company to defend against a claim from another player or a third party if, for example, injury results from a serious collision between two of you.
- Organizational protection – similar to individual protection, your Organization (club, provincial organization and/or national organization), if named in a multi-party claim, is afforded the ability to defend such a claim. If Organizations allow non-PCO members to play at their facility as guests or for orientation, etc. the Organization must have a similar waiver for them to sign.
