CCPC concludes examination of complaints relating to the Dublin and District Schoolboys/Girls League (DDSL)
July 11, 2024
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has concluded its recent engagement with the Dublin and District Schoolboys’/Girls’ League (DDSL). The DDSL organises football matches and tournaments for youth football clubs in Dublin and the surrounding areas.
The CCPC’s engagement with the DDSL followed complaints received by the CCPC from parents. These parents told the CCPC that the DDSL had required them to purchase the personal accident insurance policy of the DDSL’s choice as a precondition to registering their children with the DDSL. The DDSL’s online registration process requires parents to register their child with the DDSL for the upcoming playing season. Following registration, players are allocated to teams to participate in matches organised by the DDSL. The complaints raised concerns regarding the lack of transparency and communication between the DDSL and parents and alleged that the requirement for parents to accept the insurance policy as chosen by the DDSL, even where parents already had private personal insurance in place for their children, is anticompetitive.
As part of the examination of these complaints, the CCPC reviewed industry standards for personal accident insurance for organised youth sports. The CCPC also sought information from the DDSL regarding its introduction of mandatory personal accident insurance cover and why the DDSL chose the insurance provider in question.
The DDSL clarified that its requirement for mandatory personal accident insurance cover with an insurance provider of the DDSL’s choice was to ensure that all participating children, regardless of personal circumstances, have affordable insurance coverage in case of an accident. The cost per child of the insurance cover accounted for EUR 7.50 of the overall EUR 30.00 registration fee. The DDSL confirmed that the insurance policy is a one-year contract subject to change following each league season.
The CCPC assessed the allegations and considers that the DDSL’s decision to mandate personal accident insurance upon registration with the league does not in itself raise competition concerns. The CCPC notes that the aim of mandating personal accident insurance cover upon registration is to provide affordable and equal coverage for all participants and this appears to be consistent with industry norms for organised youth sports.
Considering that the DDSL is a large youth football league operator in Dublin and the surrounding areas, the CCPC has made several recommendations to the DDSL to ensure that its processes address the issues raised and are compliant with relevant competition law. The DDSL has accepted and agreed to implement the following recommendations:
- The DDSL will implement a competition compliance policy ensuring that the DDSL’s actions comply with competition law.
- The DDSL will ensure that its process for selecting an insurance provider is transparent and competitive and that the rationale for selecting and mandating a particular provider is communicated to the affiliated clubs and parents.
- The DDSL will ensure greater transparency in its communications with affiliated clubs and parents of players that participate in the league on issues including (but not limited to) changes to the operation of the DDSL.
