---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-1-41. Liability of sports officials at amateur athletic contests.
collection: code
id: 51-1-41
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-1-41 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-41
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-41.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-41/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6b891965_0#page=216
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-40.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-42.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: TORTS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-1-41. Liability of sports officials at amateur athletic contests.

(a) Sports officials who officiate amateur athletic contests at any level of competition in this state shall not be liable to any person or entity in any civil action for injuries or damages claimed to have arisen by virtue of actions or inactions related in any manner to officiating duties within the confines of the athletic facility at which the athletic contest is played.

(b) For the purposes of this Code section, the term ‘‘sports officials’’ means:

(1) Those individuals who serve as referees, umpires, linesmen, and those who serve in similar capacities but may be known by other titles and are duly registered with or are members of a local, state, regional, or national organization which is engaged in part in providing education and training to sports officials; and

(2) Those individuals who render service without compensation as a manager, coach, instructor, or assistant manager, coach, or instructor in any system of supervised recreation established pursuant to Chapter 64 of Title 36.

(c) Nothing in this Code section shall be deemed to grant the protection set forth in subsection (a) of this Code section to sports officials who cause injury or damage to a person or entity by actions or inactions which are intentional, willful, wanton, reckless, malicious, or grossly negligent.

## History

Code 1981, § 51-1-41, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 1603, § 1.

## Cross References

Liability of volunteers, employees, or officers of nonprofit associations conducting or sponsoring sports or safety program; liability of association, § 51-1-20.1.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 1989, p. 1603, § 1, provides that this Act shall apply to causes of action filed on or after the effective date of the Act, including those causes of action which allege actions or inactions of sports officials which occurred prior to the effective date of the Act. This Act became effective April 19, 1989.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘Appellate Practice and Procedure,’’ see 63 Mercer L. Rev. 67 (2011).