- Version
- 1.0
- Status
- Draft – Pending Legal Review
- Effective Date
- TBD
All-In Tournament Trail
Participant Liability Waiver and Assumption of Risk
This document is a draft intended for review by qualified legal counsel before official adoption.
This draft is not legal advice, does not guarantee immunity from liability, and must not be represented as attorney-approved or legally enforceable in all circumstances. Its provisions apply only to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Contents
- Agreement to Participate
- Acknowledgment of Inherent Risks
- Voluntary Assumption of Risk
- Participant Responsibility and Independent Judgment
- Boat Operator and Vessel Responsibility
- Weather and Water Conditions
- Medical Fitness and Personal Condition
- Emergency Medical Treatment
- Release of Liability
- Indemnification and Responsibility for Participant Conduct
- Property Loss and Damage
- Conduct of Other Participants and Third Parties
- Compliance with Laws and Tournament Rules
- No Guarantee of Safety
- Photography, Video, and Media Release
- Minors
- Electronic Acknowledgment and Signature
- Document Version and Recordkeeping
- Governing Law and Venue
- Severability
- Entire Agreement and No Oral Modification
- Participant Safety Acknowledgment
- Version History
1. Agreement to Participate
Participation in an All-In Tournament Trail (AITT) tournament, official practice, registration activity, launch, weigh-in, award presentation, or closely related event activity is voluntary.
Acceptance of this waiver is a condition of participation. The participant confirms that the full waiver was available to read before registration and that the participant had an opportunity to review it and ask questions.
The participant may decline this waiver by choosing not to register or participate. Visiting the AITT website or opening this page does not constitute acceptance.
To the extent legally appropriate, this waiver applies to tournament-related activities occurring before, during, and immediately after an AITT event.
2. Acknowledgment of Inherent Risks
Competitive fishing, boating, launching, trailering, and related tournament activities involve serious risks that cannot be completely eliminated. These risks include, but are not limited to:
- Boating accidents; collisions with boats, docks, structures, debris, or submerged objects; capsizing; falling overboard; and drowning
- Slips, trips, falls, burns, cuts, puncture wounds, and injuries involving hooks, lures, rods, knives, or other fishing and boating equipment
- Severe weather, lightning, high winds, waves, rough water, rapidly changing conditions, extreme heat, cold exposure, and limited visibility
- Wildlife encounters, underwater hazards, remote locations, and delays in emergency response
- Fuel-related hazards, fire, mechanical or electrical failure, engine failure, battery failure, steering failure, and communications failure
- Navigation errors, route-selection errors, unsafe speeds, misjudged water depth, and incorrect decisions about whether to launch or continue
- Actions, omissions, negligence, or unsafe decisions of other participants, recreational boaters, spectators, property owners, or members of the public
- Theft, loss, or damage involving boats, motors, vehicles, trailers, electronics, fishing equipment, and personal property
- Serious bodily injury, permanent disability, and death
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Known and unknown risks may arise from the location, weather, equipment, participant conduct, third-party conduct, or the nature of tournament participation.
3. Voluntary Assumption of Risk
The participant understands these risks, voluntarily chooses to participate, and knowingly accepts the inherent and reasonably foreseeable risks of competitive fishing and boating to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Risks may remain even when reasonable safety precautions are followed.
The participant accepts responsibility for risks arising from the participant's own actions, omissions, judgment, errors, negligence, and unsafe decisions. The participant also accepts the possibility that another participant or third party may act negligently or make an unsafe decision.
Tournament Officials cannot observe, supervise, direct, or control every participant or every situation occurring on the water. Each participant is responsible for decisions made before, during, and immediately after competition, including decisions involving:
- Whether to launch, continue fishing, suspend participation, withdraw, or seek shelter
- Weather avoidance, water conditions, navigation, route selection, vessel speed, and distance from safe harbor
- Boat and equipment condition, fuel planning, communications, emergency response, and personal safety
4. Participant Responsibility and Independent Judgment
Each participant is responsible for:
- Personal conduct and on-the-water decisions
- Safe and lawful vessel operation and maintaining control of the vessel
- Determining whether conditions are safe for the participant's boat, equipment, experience, health, and abilities
- Selecting safe routes and speeds and avoiding known or reasonably apparent hazards
- Complying with federal, state, and local law, boating and fishing regulations, and site requirements
- Confirming that required safety equipment is present, accessible, and functional
- Deciding whether to launch, continue, suspend, seek shelter, or withdraw from competition
- The conduct of a teammate, passenger, or permitted occupant to the extent allowed by law
No tournament schedule, check-in deadline, prize opportunity, rule, announcement, instruction, or competitive consideration requires a participant to operate a vessel unsafely or continue participating in unsafe conditions. Participants must place safety ahead of competition.
AITT does not make an individualized judgment that a particular participant, vessel, route, speed, location, or weather condition is safe for that participant. General tournament information does not replace the participant's independent judgment.
5. Boat Operator and Vessel Responsibility
The boat operator is responsible for ensuring that the vessel is legally registered where required, seaworthy, properly maintained, legally operated, and suitable for reasonably expected conditions.
Before and during participation, the operator is responsible for the condition and sufficiency of:
- Hull, engine, steering, throttle, electrical systems, and batteries
- Navigation lights, fire extinguishers, throwable flotation devices, and personal flotation devices
- Engine emergency-stop kill-switch systems
- Fuel, communications equipment, and other required safety equipment
- Insurance where required by law or applicable agreement
Life jackets and emergency kill switches must be used in accordance with applicable law and the Official Tournament Rules.
Each boat operator remains responsible for safe vessel operation regardless of tournament standings, weather, time constraints, check-in deadlines, or fishing conditions. An AITT inspection, boat check, rule-enforcement action, or failure to identify a defect does not guarantee vessel safety or transfer responsibility for the vessel to AITT.
6. Weather and Water Conditions
Weather and water conditions can change rapidly. Forecasts, observations, and provider data may be delayed, incomplete, or inaccurate. Estimated Safe Light is a planning estimate and does not guarantee safe visibility, navigability, water, weather, or operating conditions.
AITT may delay, modify, shorten, stop, postpone, cancel, or reschedule an event for safety reasons. AITT cannot continuously monitor every location, participant, route, or developing condition. The absence of an official delay, warning, or cancellation does not mean conditions are safe for every participant or vessel.
Each participant must independently evaluate current conditions and make conservative safety decisions based on the participant's vessel, equipment, experience, abilities, and location. Launch and continuation decisions remain with each participant.
7. Medical Fitness and Personal Condition
The participant believes they are physically and mentally capable of participating. The participant is responsible for considering any medical condition, medication, impairment, fatigue, dehydration, heat illness, cold exposure, or other limitation and for obtaining medical advice when appropriate.
The participant will not participate while impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, or any medication or substance that makes participation unsafe. This waiver does not require disclosure of private medical information not otherwise required by an approved AITT process.
The participant remains responsible for personal medical expenses arising from participation, except where responsibility cannot legally be assigned or waived.
8. Emergency Medical Treatment
If the participant is unable to provide consent during an emergency, the participant authorizes Tournament Officials or other persons at the scene to request reasonable emergency assistance, transportation, and medical treatment.
AITT does not guarantee the availability, timing, adequacy, or outcome of an emergency response. The participant remains financially responsible for medical transportation, treatment, hospitalization, and related expenses to the extent permitted by law.
This authorization does not require any person to provide care beyond their training and does not create a duty beyond what applicable law requires.
9. Release of Liability
For this section, the Released Parties are All-In Tournament Trail and its owners, officers, directors, Tournament Directors, employees, contractors, volunteers, scorekeepers, officials, sponsors, partners, host facilities, property owners, launch facilities, affiliated organizations, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the participant releases the Released Parties from claims arising from participation in an AITT event and associated with inherent risks; boating accidents; collisions; falls; drowning; weather; equipment failure; property damage; emergency response; the actions of participants or third parties; and the participant's own decisions, errors, omissions, negligence, unsafe choices, navigation, speed, route selection, failure to discontinue participation, failure to seek shelter, or failure to use appropriate safety equipment.
NOTICE REGARDING AITT'S OWN ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THIS RELEASE IS ALSO INTENDED TO INCLUDE CLAIMS ALLEGING THE ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE OF A RELEASED PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH AN AITT EVENT. THIS PROVISION REQUIRES REVIEW BY QUALIFIED TEXAS COUNSEL BEFORE ADOPTION.
This release does not apply to gross negligence, reckless conduct, intentional misconduct, fraud, statutory rights that cannot legally be waived, or other legally non-waivable conduct to the extent applicable law prohibits such a release.
Nothing in this waiver is intended to waive any right, claim, protection, or remedy that cannot legally be waived under applicable law.
10. Indemnification and Responsibility for Participant Conduct
To the extent permitted by applicable law, the participant accepts responsibility for claims, losses, liabilities, or property damage caused by the participant's unlawful or reckless conduct, negligent vessel operation, violation of the Official Tournament Rules, damage to another person's property, or failure to comply with boating or fishing laws.
Any indemnification obligation is intended to be reasonable, legally permissible, and limited to loss caused by the participant's own conduct. It is not intended to create an unlimited obligation or cover conduct that cannot legally be shifted to the participant.
11. Property Loss and Damage
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, AITT is not responsible for theft, loss, or damage involving boats, motors, electronics, fishing equipment, vehicles, trailers, personal belongings, phones, cameras, cash, or other property used, carried, parked, stored, or left at an AITT activity.
Each participant is responsible for securing, maintaining, and insuring their own property. This provision does not excuse conduct or waive a right that cannot legally be waived.
12. Conduct of Other Participants and Third Parties
AITT cannot guarantee the conduct, judgment, skill, equipment, or competence of another participant. AITT also cannot control recreational boaters, spectators, property owners, launch users, or other third parties.
To the extent allowed by law, the participant accepts risks created by the actions, errors, omissions, negligence, or unsafe decisions of others. Participants must remain alert and take reasonable action to avoid foreseeable hazards created by other people or vessels.
13. Compliance with Laws and Tournament Rules
The participant agrees to comply with:
- The Official Tournament Rules
- Federal, state, and local law
- Boating and fishing regulations
- Site, marina, property, and launch-facility rules
- Lawful instructions from public authorities and Tournament Officials
A violation may result in a penalty, loss of weight, disqualification, suspension, removal from an event, loss of eligibility, or referral to the appropriate authority, consistent with the Official Tournament Rules and applicable law. This waiver does not create a specific tournament penalty not otherwise established by the rules.
14. No Guarantee of Safety
AITT promotes safety but cannot guarantee participant safety. The presence of Tournament Officials does not create continuous supervision or control over participants on the water.
Safety communications, rules, weather notices, forecasts, Estimated Safe Light, inspections, boat checks, event changes, and emergency assistance do not eliminate inherent risks or replace independent participant judgment. Each participant remains responsible for personal safety and conservative decision-making.
Nothing in this section permits AITT or any Released Party to disregard a safety obligation imposed by applicable law.
15. Photography, Video, and Media Release
The participant grants AITT reasonable permission to photograph, film, livestream, record, and identify the participant in connection with AITT activities. AITT may use the participant's name, image, likeness, voice, tournament results, catch, and event participation for:
- The AITT website and social media
- Livestreams and event coverage
- Promotional materials and advertising
- Sponsor communications
- Historical archives and future AITT marketing
No additional compensation is required unless AITT and the participant agree otherwise in writing. These rights are limited to uses reasonably related to AITT activities and remain subject to applicable law.
If a minor is permitted to participate, any media permission must be reviewed and accepted by a parent or legal guardian as required by law and approved AITT policy.
16. Minors
AITT's current Official Tournament Rules do not finalize minimum-age or parental-consent requirements. This section does not independently make a minor eligible to participate.
If AITT approves participation by a minor, a parent or legal guardian must review and accept the applicable waiver, consent to the minor's participation, and accept responsibility to the extent permitted by law. Additional minor-specific documentation may be required. A minor is not assumed capable of independently waiving all legal claims.
17. Electronic Acknowledgment and Signature
Checking the required registration acknowledgment box is intended to constitute an electronic signature. By affirmatively selecting it, the participant confirms that they had access to and reviewed:
- The Official Tournament Rules
- This Participant Liability Waiver and Assumption of Risk
- A Privacy Policy, if one is adopted and presented as part of registration
The checkbox is not preselected. Visiting a policy page, browsing the website, or beginning a form does not constitute agreement. Electronic acceptance is intended to have the same effect as a handwritten signature where permitted by applicable law.
AITT may record the date and time, document versions, participant identity, registration identifier, acknowledgment status, and related acceptance metadata.
18. Document Version and Recordkeeping
The registration system is designed to capture, once backend integration is complete:
- Waiver version and Official Tournament Rules version
- Date and time of acknowledgment
- Registration identifier and participant name
- Acknowledgment status and other reasonable audit information
The current registration contract carries this information, but AITT does not yet claim that the acceptance record is permanently stored. Durable registration persistence and a trusted server acknowledgment time remain a future production requirement.
Payment-card information is processed by Square. AITT does not store raw card numbers, CVV values, magnetic-stripe data, or unencrypted payment credentials.
19. Governing Law and Venue
This waiver is intended to be governed by the laws of the State of Texas, subject to any law that must apply regardless of this provision.
Venue and jurisdiction language must be finalized following review by qualified Texas counsel. This draft does not select an exclusive county or venue.
20. Severability
If a court or other authority determines that a provision is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions should remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Where legally permitted, an unenforceable provision may be limited or modified only to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable. Severability does not expand any provision beyond what applicable law allows.
21. Entire Agreement and No Oral Modification
This waiver, together with the Official Tournament Rules and applicable written registration terms, represents the participant's agreement concerning the subjects it covers.
A tournament-day conversation, informal statement, or verbal comment does not silently replace this written waiver. Any official waiver modification must be made by AITT through an authorized written update.
This section does not prevent Tournament Officials from issuing lawful emergency instructions, safety directions, schedule changes, or rules clarifications within their authority.
22. Participant Safety Acknowledgment
I understand that competitive fishing and boating involve risks that cannot be completely eliminated.
I acknowledge that I am responsible for my own safety, the safe operation of my vessel, and the decisions I make while participating in an All-In Tournament Trail event.
I understand that Tournament Officials cannot continuously supervise me or guarantee my safety while I am on the water.
I voluntarily accept the risks associated with participation, including risks arising from accidents, weather, equipment failures, the actions of others, and my own decisions, errors, omissions, or negligence, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
I understand that I may withdraw from participation whenever I believe conditions are unsafe.
Version History
| Version | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | July 22, 2026 | Initial comprehensive participant liability waiver draft for legal review, including assumption of risk, participant responsibility, boating decisions, weather decisions, accidents, negligence, electronic acknowledgment, and document-version capture. |
--- For an overview of the project, begin with 00_START_HERE.md.
