Open mat sessions are a popular part of many clubs, providing members with an opportunity to practise techniques, spar with training partners, and develop their skills in a less structured environment than a formal class.
Whilst instruction during an open mat may be limited or absent, clubs should remember that they continue to owe participants a duty of care. The session remains a club activity and should be organised, supervised, and managed in accordance with normal health, safety, safeguarding, and insurance requirements.
Minimum Requirements
To remain within the scope of normal club activities, BMABA expects that:
A suitably insured instructor or authorised club representative is present throughout the session.
The session is actively supervised from a safety perspective, even if no formal coaching is taking place.
A suitably qualified First Aider is available throughout the session.
Participants only undertake activities appropriate to their age, experience, and ability.
The club's normal safety rules, codes of conduct, and emergency procedures remain in place.
Appropriate risk assessments have been completed and are followed.
An open mat should be viewed as a supervised practice session rather than an unsupervised gym. Whilst an instructor does not need to provide continuous coaching or technical instruction, they should remain available to supervise the session, monitor participant welfare, intervene where necessary, and respond to any incidents or emergencies.
It is perfectly acceptable for an instructor to observe the session, answer occasional questions, or provide guidance where appropriate without delivering a structured lesson.
Sessions That Are Not Covered
An open mat should never be left completely unattended.
For example, the following would generally fall outside the scope of normal club activities:
Participants accessing the mat without any responsible supervisor present.
An instructor remaining elsewhere within the building, such as working in an office or side room out of sight of the training space, whilst participants train without supervision.
Self-attend or self-access training sessions where members are free to use the facilities without a responsible person overseeing the activity.
These arrangements represent a fundamentally different risk profile and are typically considered premises or facility operation rather than supervised club activities.
Where a club wishes to operate a genuinely unattended open gym or self-access facility, separate insurance arrangements for the premises and its operation are likely to be required.
If you intend to operate this type of facility, please contact the BMABA team before doing so. We can introduce you to our FCA regulated insurance broker, who can discuss the specialist insurance arrangements that may be appropriate for your circumstances.
Safeguarding Requirements
Where anyone under the age of 18 is participating, the club's full safeguarding arrangements must remain in place throughout the session.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Appropriate supervision by responsible adults.
Compliance with the club's safeguarding policy and code of conduct.
Suitable DBS and safeguarding arrangements where required.
Appropriate management of changing facilities and welfare concerns.
Clear procedures for responding to injuries, safeguarding disclosures, or emergencies.
The fact that an open mat is informal does not reduce a club's safeguarding responsibilities.
Clubs should also ensure that younger participants are only training in activities appropriate to their age, size, maturity, and experience, and that instructors remain ready to intervene whenever safety or welfare concerns arise.
Summary
Open mat sessions are fully compatible with normal club activities when they remain supervised practice sessions under the oversight of an insured instructor or authorised club representative.
They should not be treated as self-access gyms or left unattended. Where clubs wish to operate an unsupervised training facility, specialist premises-based insurance arrangements will usually be required in addition to standard club insurance.