A Summary of Key Sports Law Cases In Australia in 2022
This is a summary of some of the leading sports law cases that arose in Australia in 2022. It is based on the author’s presentation to the annual conference of the Australian and…
What obligations do clubs owe players if suspending their contract for Covid-19 (FCSB v Planic)?
The case of FC FCSB SA v. Bogdan Planic1 is of notable interest to sports clubs, players and sports law practitioners w…
Not A Level Playing Field: Drafting And Interpreting Force Majeure Clauses Post Covid-19
Why are the European Professional Club Rugby v RDA Television1 and Football Association Premier Leagu…
What Tournament Organisers Can Learn From India’s AFC Women’s Cup Exit
The Indian women’s football team (Indian team) was forced to withdraw from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women…
Beijing 2022: What are the travel and Covid-19 rules for the Olympic Winter Games?
Beginning on 4 February, the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (the Games) are almost upon us. But as on…
Sports Law in 2022 – Key issues to watch in North America
Here are the top sports law issues to watch out for in 2022 in North America from the LawInSport Editorial Board. …
How FIFA's International Call-Up Rules Are Being Applied During the Pandemic
The release of professional football players from their clubs to their respective national teams has always been a subj…
Key Sports Law Cases & Developments Of 2021 – Europe
As we come to the end of a turbulent and challenging year, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the…
Key Sports Law Cases And Developments Of 2021 – Central & South America
As we come to the end of a turbulent and challenging year, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the…
Can athletes successfully challenge COVID-19 vaccine mandates? A case study from the Australian Open 2022
The participation of some of the world’s best tennis players at the 2022 Australian Open is uncertain. The Federa…
Esports in Italy: Key Labour Issues & why a uniform legal framework is vital for its success
The Covid-19 pandemic which affected and somehow continues to affect most of the countries all over the world, led to a…
Covid-19: Strategies for UK sports organisations preparing for end of furlough
After a year and a half, and multiple iterations and extensions, the ground-breaking furlough scheme (officially the Co…
Key UK Travel & Immigration Rules For The Sports Industry During Covid-19
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports industry was one of the first to move its people around the world, with sporting…
Sports Technology And Media Rights - The Year In Review 2020/2021
2020/2021 has been a year like no other for everyone, and the commercial sports world is no exception. The COVID-19 pan…
How U.S. Courts Have Dealt with COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance Cases Involving Pro Sports Teams
At the beginning of 2020 there were two big questions in American sports: could Lebron James and Anthony Davis revive t…
Sport and commercial law – the year in review 2020/21
In a year where our transformed working patterns have been made possible by modern technology, it seems apt for the the…
Can the Tokyo Games still be cancelled? Yes, but the legal and financial fallout would be staggering
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is adamant the Tokyo Olympics will begin as scheduled on July 23[1]…
Sports Disputes and Disciplinary Procedures - the Year in review 2020/21
It is difficult to look back on 2020 without considering the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had, in any context…
How Europe’s Major Football Leagues Are Regulating Fixtures & Sanctioning Clubs For Outbreaks Of Covid-19
The author recently wrote on the successful appeals of St. Mirren FC and Kilmarnock FC[1] against match forfeits impose…
How 'State Aid' Rules Have Adapted For Covid-19 And What It Means For The Sports Sector
This article examines how EU State aid rules have adapted in the time of Covid-19 and what it means for the European sp…
How sports leagues & federations around the world are sanctioning players breaking Covid-19 rules
Since the beginning of 2020, sporting regulatory bodies have had to deal with the legal, financial and commercial reper…
Fighting Match Forfeits For Covid-19: The Cases Of St Mirren & Kilmarnock FC
This article discusses the recent appeal by Scottish football teams St Mirren FC and Kilmarnock FC, in w…
Regulating Against Competition Manipulation In Sport
Financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to increase the incidence of competition manipulation (fix…
Sports law in 2021 – key issues to watch in North America
Here are the top sports law issues to watch out for in 2021 in North America from the LawInSport Editorial Board. …
Sports law in 2021 – key issues to watch in Europe
Here are the top sports law issues to watch out for in 2021 in Europe from the LawInSport Editorial Board.
Des…
Fired for breaching coronavirus rules: key points from the Joshiko Saibou case
The authors’ prior article (available here[1]) discussed how German professional basketball player, Joshiko Saibou, had…
COVID-19: Key data protection considerations for readmitting fans to sports stadiums
With the recent UK government announcement that some stadiums can admit up to 4000 fans[1], most of us will still be wa…
A summary of the esports panel at LawInSport’s 6th annual conference
The ‘future legal and regulatory challenges in esports’ panel took place on 10 November 2020. This article summari…
Key trends in sports broadcasting: does the model really need to change?
LawInSport discussed the current state of media rights in sport with a number of leading industry experts to examine wh…
Indian sports law update: BCCI conflict of interest cases and IPL’s Covid-19 rules
With the recent and much anticipated return of the Indian Premier League (IPL), this Indian sports law update examine…
How COVID-19 is impacting commercial sports contracts
With the coronavirus having a profound impact on world sport and its commercial revenue streams, we have spoken to lead…
How rugby union is responding to Covid-19: a legal update
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a plethora of legal and administrative hurdles for sport worldwide, and rugby union i…
M&A in Sports: has COVID-19 moved the goalposts?
Back in Q1 2020, the Linklaters Sports law team looked ahead with optimism at the potential for growth and investment o…
Formula 1 and esports in the time of Coronavirus
The first half of 2020 has seen the cancellation of a great number of internationally-renowned sporting events because…
How the UAE sports sector is adapting to COVID-19
The world before covid-19 seems a long time ago[1]. Any way you choose to look at the global sports and events se…
The safe return of spectators to elite sport - a health & safety perspective
The Department for Culture Media & Sport (DCMS), announced a series of pilots to trial the safe return of spe…
Why long-term private equity capital in sport is a potential game changer
Whilst financial investments in the global sports sector are not a new phenomenon, such investments have historically b…
Why Hearts & Partick Thistle lost legal relegation battle from Scottish Premiership
Following the decision by Lord Clark on 3 July 2020,[1] the legal challenge brought by Heart of Midlothian Plc (Hearts)…
Cash is king: Covid-19 leaves sports clubs scrutinising their business in pursuit of cash flow
The sports industry has been on an ever-upwards trajectory in recent years, especially at the top of the sports pyramid…
UEFA’s 2020/21 competition eligibility guidelines and possible legal challenges by clubs
The COVID-19 pandemic had and still has a tremendous effect on sports events. In football the national leagues of Argen…
Fighting relegation in Scottish football - to arbitration we must go! (Hearts & Partick Thistle v SPFL)
This article considers the decision (available here) of Lord Clark, who presided over the recent procedural hearing, re…
Return to play for US college sports - legal risks, liability waivers and best practices
On May 20, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing body for college sports in the United Sta…
A review of the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal’s first COVID-19 decision (Surmacz v. BM SLAM Stal)
On 14 May 2020, the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), a go-to dispute resolution body in the basketball world, issued…
The power to end the football season: lessons from the decision in South Shields FC v The FA
The distinguished arbitral panel, chaired by Lord Dyson with Charles Flint QC and Andrew Green QC, recently delive…
Insolvency in the EFL - the Football Creditors Rule and laws protecting players & staff
In relation to the English Football League (EFL), there have been dire warnings that in the absence of a substantially…
COVID-19: four key legal issues for Philippine sports organisations to consider on return to play
After more than two months of slumber, Philippine sports is slowly making a comeback. Of course, this comeback won’t be…
Can disgruntled football clubs challenge Project Restart? Exploring the duty of ‘utmost good faith’ in the EFL & Premier League
On 28 May 2020, Premier League clubs unanimously decided to return to contact training, in accordance with the Governme…
Can sports clubs compel players to return to play and waive health and safety liability?
As elite-level leagues, sporting associations and other stakeholders debate whether competitions can be restarted in an…
Covid-19: the challenges and opportunities facing Spain’s sports industry
Covid-19 is having an enormous social and economic impact and the global sports industry is not immune. Regardless of t…
A guide to FIFA’s COVID-19 guidelines and their effects on Indian football clubs
The severe threat to public health posed by the rapid spread of Covid-19 has forced governments across the globe to imp…
Tokyo 2021: extending employment contracts for Olympic coaches
With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021, many sports federations are trying to negotiate contract exte…
COVID-19: Switzerland plans financial support to help international sports federations
At the outbreak of the health and economic crisis in March 2020, the Swiss Government enacted various provisions of gen…
COVID 19: safety precautions & legal duties for Indian sports academies to consider when reopening
This article helps operators of sports academies and training centres in India to understand the safety precautions and…
COVID-19: can esports help mitigate the impact on traditional sports?
Following the initial shock of Covid-19, reflected in the widespread cancellation of live events and leagues across the…
Tokyo 2021: qualification issues facing athletes by postponing the Olympic Games
On March 24, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee jointly announced[1] tha…
COVID-19: a guide to Australia’s main legal changes for sporting organisations
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue to have, a major impact on sport in Australia. Competitions and…
COVID-19: the impact of postponing or cancelling sports events in India
With the rapid spread and dangers to public health posed by COVID-19, governments across the world have implemented soc…
COVID-19: a legal perspective on FIFA’s guiding principles for national football associations
This article examines the regulatory and legal issues for FIFA member associations deriving from the COVID-19 virus out…
COVID-19: how is esports coping compared to traditional sports?
Covid-19 has brought the world of traditional sport[1] to a standstill. From cancellation of major leagues across the w…
COVID-19: practical guidance for those affected by cancelled sports events in Germany
Like virtually all football leagues worldwide, the German Bundesliga (DFL) has suspended the ongoing season[1] until at…
COVID-19: key points for football clubs on the UK Government’s job retention scheme
What is the Job Retention Scheme (JRS)?
A temporary scheme (starting from 1 March 2020 and running for at least 3 mont…
COVID-19: 10 legal considerations of extending the football season in England
The outbreak of Covid-19 has caused significant turmoil to sport globally and football in particular has a multitude of…
COVID-19: a checklist of key legal and business considerations
As the legal, regulatory, and commercial implications of COVID-19 continue to evolve, our team has created a checklist…
COVID-19: the impact on players’ contractual rights & obligations (key principles from case law)
It has been two months since the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) postponed subsequent games of its 2019-20 season…
COVID-19: can sporting event organisers claim under their cancellation insurance?
Many events, including music, theatre, conferences and exhibitions have been cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVI…
COVID-19: a high level review of the impact on sports events, teams and ticketholders
The coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak that began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread at a rapid pace, has now inf…
COVID-19: sport and the law of frustration and force majeure
The decision of the English Premier League, Football League and the Scottish FA to suspend football matches as a result…
