Sanction a Tournament

Please note that if you are applying for tournament sanctioning within 60 days of your event, special permission is needed before your application is submitted. Please contact your membership services representative regarding this matter.

Supplemental tournament insurance is offered to hosts of US Club Soccer-sanctioned tournaments in order to obtain liability and accident insurance coverage for all non-US Club Soccer participating teams. (Teams using US Club Soccer passcards already have insurance coverage.) This simplifies attendance for teams, especially if a number of non-US Club Soccer teams are not able to obtain insurance from their state association or other U.S. Soccer member organization. To do so, please complete and follow the instructions on the form below.

For additional information related to attending a tournament, please visit the Attending a Tournament page. This includes information regarding a US Club Soccer member attending a non-US Club Soccer-sanctioned tournament, and a non-member attending a US Club Soccer-sanctioned tournament.

Sanctioned Tournament Supplemental Insurance Form

Pursuant to the U.S. Soccer player safety campaign, any tournament projected to have 64 or more teams at 11-U and older age groups must have an adequate number of certified athletic trainers or other healthcare professionals in attendance. They must be accessible to coaches, referees and athletes as needed during play. A major tournament means all of these:

• a tournament played over multiple days;
• where age-group-based champions will be determined;
• in which 64 or more teams (excluding teams 10-U and younger) are entered.

The individual should be a licensed healthcare professional (HCP), such as an athletic trainer certified (ATC) or a physician (MD/DO), with a skill set in emergency care and sports medicine injuries, and with knowledge and experience related to concussion evaluation and management.

Each “major youth tournament” hosting entity should collaborate and communicate with an HCP, if available, on an overall emergency action plan and discuss the management of environmental injuries, injury prevention, head injury management and return-to-play matters.

A certified athletic trainer means a person who has credentials from the Board of Certification and/or has the appropriate license from their state.

The trainer or other healthcare professional must be able to conduct SCAT3 and modified BESS concussion tests on the sideline.

Determining the “adequate number of trainers” depends in part on the total number of teams, field layout, etc. For example, a ratio of one trainer to four or six fields may be adequate. More than one trainer would be required if the tournament fields are spread out over a large area, or if the tournament is held at different locations.

For general information on athletic trainers, please visit this National Athletic Trainers Association web page or connect with US Club Soccer partner Go4Ellis to create a staffing plan and ensure all your athletic training needs are met.

Approval from the U.S. Soccer Federation must be obtained for any game or tournament involving international teams.

In order to do so, the following process must be completed at a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the start date of the event:

1. You must have obtained Sanctioned Tournament approval from US Club Soccer or respective State Association. 
2. Follow instructions provided by the U.S. Soccer Federation to host international teams here.
3. If you require assistance in obtaining a Certificate of Insurance for liability coverage as outlined by the U.S. Soccer Federation, please visit our insurance page here.
4. The application fee is $200 to be collected as the last step during the application process by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please direct them to hosting-travel@ussoccer.org.