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Sports-Law

What Is Sports Law?

Sports law incorporates a wide range of areas of law including contracts, antitrust, entertainment, labor, and tort law. Sports lawyers represent a variety of people such as athletes, teams, educational institutions, leagues, agents, and conferences. Sports law encompasses the world of amateur, professional, and international sports.

Amateur sports include high school sports, certain individual competitions, and intercollegiate athletics. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulates intercollegiate sports, though membership is voluntary, and sets standards of eligibility, ethics, financial aid, recruiting, academics, and gender equality.

Professional sports are perhaps the most widely recognized portion of sports law and include American professional sports teams ranging from football to basketball, baseball, and hockey.

International sports concern international competitions such as the Olympics and the World Cup.

What Are Some Issues In Sports Law?

Issues in sports law concern everything from contract disputes and negations, race and gender discrimination, injuries, drug testing, and labor negotiations and the right of players to form unions.

In professional sports, a main issue is the relationship between the sports player and the team, which is generally governed by contract laws and concern contract and labor negotiations about employment and salary. Baseball has its own form of salary negotiation through salary arbitration.

Professional sports also have issues surrounding antitrust laws, which prohibit monopolistic activities and restrain interstate commerce. Sports leagues have a number of owners and agreements made between them, like restricting salaries, franchises, or selections of new teams, can result in antitrust violations for uncompetitive activity and restraint of trade.

Tort law issues intersect with sports law when players or spectators are injured and there has been negligence on the part of the person causing the injury. Doctors may also be liable for medical malpractice if they grossly mishandle the care of an athlete.

Legal issues may also come up with free agents who are able to leave their existing teams and choose another and with the drafting of players, in which professional sports teams may select their players through bidding, and negotiations may be necessary.

What Is Title IX?

Title IX is found in the Education Amendments of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IX states that federally funded institutions can not discriminate against persons on the basis of sex nor exclude them from participation in or receiving the benefits of any education program or activity receiving federal funding. Most colleges and universities must comply with requirements of Title IX and this has led to an increased effort to achieve equality for women's sports.

When Should I Contact A Sports Lawyer?

Sports law is a complex field full of negotiations and regulations that may be difficult to understand on your own. A sports lawyer can help you determine your rights and legal concerns within the sports industry.