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Updated: 31-Dec-2009

Sports Law

  Home   >>   Law   >>   LLB   >>   Sports Law

Course leader: Dr Gregory Ioannidis
Two terms (30 units)

Sports Law is a new, exciting and rapidly growing area of law, with a distinct body of statutory and case law. It has developed into a body of law practised by specialist lawyers and as in "lex mercatoria", a similar "lex sportiva" is now present. A sports lawyer must command a wide variety of law subjects and, in essence, a sports lawyer could be called the "ultimate practitioner".

On completion of the course, a successful student would be able to:

  • demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the relationship between sport and the law, the basic arguments and the substantive legal issues.
  • identify the potential for legal liability to arise in sporting relationships and develop strategies to minimise that risk.
  • demonstrate an ability to present a coherent argument and appropriate responses to conflicting points of view.
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of the structure and organisation of domestic, European and international sports.
  • examine the effectiveness of existing legal regulations of sport.
  • with guidance, critically evaluate specific areas of sports law and their place within society.
  • demonstrate an ability to identify solutions in arbitration and develop skills for case preparation, negotiation, conference and advocacy.
  • undertake and apply effective individual research.

The course covers the following areas:

Introduction to Sports Law (Socio-Legal Aspects) - Summer Term:

  • Introduction to Sports Law
  • Criminal liability in sport
  • Civil liability in sport
  • Regulation of drug abuse in sport
  • Regulation of safety in sports stadia and spectators
  • Corruption in sport
  • Issues of discrimination (sex, race) in sport

Sports Law 2 (Business Aspects) - Autumn Term:

  • Sport and competition policy
  • Competition and broadcasting rights
  • Intellectual property rights and sport
  • Sports marketing, sponsorship and ambush marketing
  • Sports agents
  • Sport and contracts of employment
  • Termination of contracts of employment

The course is assessed by written examination in December (80% - 4 questions out of nine) and an oral presentation on a sports law topic (20%).

Main texts:

  • Grayson, Edward. Sport and the law (3rd ed., London: Butterworths, 2000). ISBN: 0-406-90505-3.
  • Gardiner, Simon et al. Sports law (3rd ed., London: Cavendish, 2006). ISBN: 1-85941-894-5.
  • Beloff, Michael, Tim Kerr & Marie Demetriou. Sports law (Oxford: Hart, 1999) ISBN: 1-84113-073-7.

Further reading (Socio-Legal Aspects):

  • Armstrong, G.. Football hooligans (Oxford: Berg, 1998). ISBN: 1-85973-952-0.
  • Bahrke, M. & C Yesalis (eds) . Performance-enhancing substances in sport and exercise (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2002). ISBN: 0-7360-3679-2.
  • Blanpain. R. The Bosman case (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1996). ISBN: 0-421-57010-5.
  • Boyle, R. & R. Haynes. Power play: sport, the media and popular culture (London: Longman, 2000). ISBN: 0-582-36939-8.
  • Downes, S. & D. Mackay. Running scared (Edinburgh: Mainstream, 2006). ISBN: 1-85158-855-8.
  • Drugs in sport: the pressure to perform (London: British Medical Journal, 2002). ISBN: 0-7279-1606-8.
  • Duke, V. & L. Crolley. Football, nationality and the state (Harlow: Longman, 1996). ISBN: 0-582-29306-5.
  • Goldman, Bob. Death in the locker room (London: Century, 1984). ISBN: 0-7126-0954-7.
  • Grayson, E. Ethics, injuries and the law in sports medicine (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999). ISBN: 0-7506-1576-1.
  • Greenfield, S. & G. Osborn, Law and sport in contemporary society (London: Frank Cass, 2000). ISBN: 0-7146-5048-X.
  • Hartley, Hazel J. Exploring sport and leisure disasters: a socio-legal perspective (London: Cavendish, 2001). ISBN: 1-85941-650-0.
  • Houlihan, B. Dying to win (2nd ed., Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2002). ISBN: 92-871-4685-3.
  • Jennings, Andrew. The new lords of the rings (London: Pocket Books). ISBN: 0-671-85571-9.
  • Jones, R. & K. Armour. Sociology of sport: theory and practice (Harlow: Longman, 2000). ISBN: 0-582-41912-3.
  • Kevan, T., D. Adamson & S. Cottrell. Sports personal injury: law and practice (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2002). ISBN: 0-421-77840-7.
  • Liska, K. Drugs and the human body (6th ed., Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000). ISBN: 0-13-040172-2.
  • Maguire, J.. Sport worlds (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2002). ISBN: 0-88011-972-1.
  • Messner, D. & F. Sabo (eds). Sport, men and the gender order (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1990). ISBN: 0-87322-281-4.
  • Modahl, D. The Diane Modahl story (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995). ISBN: 0-340-64269-6.
  • O'Leary, J. (ed.). Drugs and doping in sport: socio-legal perspectives (London: Cavendish, 2001). ISBN: 1-85941-662-4.
  • Siekman, R. et al. (eds). Doping rules of international sports organisations (The Hague: TMC Asser, 1999). ISBN: 90-670-4113-0.
  • Taylor, R., A. Ward & T. Newburn. The day of the Hillsborough Disaster (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1995). ISBN: 0-85323-199-0.
  • Voy, Robert. Drugs, sport and politics (Champaign: Leisure Press, 1991). ISBN: 0-88011-409-6.
  • Wilson, W. & E. Derse (eds). Doping in elite sport (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2001). ISBN: 0-7360-0329-0.
  • Yesalis, C. & V. Cowart. The steroids game (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1998). ISBN: 0-88011-494-0.
  • Yesalis, C. (ed.). Anabolic steroids in sport and exercise (2nd ed., Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2000). ISBN: 0-88011-786-9.

Further reading (Business Aspects)

  • Appenzeller, H. (ed.). Risk management in sport: issues and strategies (2nd ed., Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2005). ISBN: 1-59460-014-7.
  • Caiger, A. & S. Gardiner. Professional sport in the European Union: regulation and re-regulation (The Hague: TMC Asser). ISBN: 90-670-4126-2.
  • Jeanrenaud, Claude (ed.). Competition policy in professional sports (Antwerp: Standaard). ISBN: 90-341-1160-1.
  • Masteralexis, L., C. Barr & M. Hums (eds). Principles and practice of sports management (Gaithersburg: Aspen). ISBN: 0-83421-021-5.
  • Parrish, R. & S. Miettinen, The sporting exception in European Union law (The Hague: TMC Asser, 2008). ISBN: 978-90-670-4262-8.
  • Parrish, R. Sports law and policy in the European Union (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003). ISBN: 978-0-719-06607-8 (pbk).
  • Verow, R., C. Lawrence & P. McCormick. Sport, business and the law (Bristol: Jordans). ISBN: 0-85308-481-5.
  • Wolohan. Law for recreation and sport managers (Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company).

An extensive list of journals and other sports law books will be included in the lecture handouts.