6.6 - Sport and the Law

Question 1

Define a sports law?

Answer 1

The laws, regulations and judicial decisions that govern sports and athletes that perform in them

Question 2

What is meant by damages in sport and the law?

Answer 2

When individuals seek legal redress and compensation for loss of earnings where they must prove that they have suffered an actual injury as a result of a deliberate harmful, reckless action of an opponent
- An example is Matt Holmes, a professional footballer, who claimed damages for a career ending tackle.

Question 3

What is the memory tool for reasons why sports performers might need assistance from the law during their sporting career and define it?

Answer 3

SOCCER

S - Spectators attacking players
O - Opponents being too violent
C - Contractual issues with sponsors
C - Contractual issues with employers
E - Equality of opportunities issues (e.g racism)
R - Refereeing negligence

Question 4

Define Negligence?

Answer 4

Conduct that falls below a ‘reasonable person standard’ and leads to a breach of the duty of care, which results in foreseeable harm to another

Question 5

Define the duty of care?

Answer 5

A legal obligation imposed on someone if they are responsible for a group of people

Question 6

Explain what the bowman ruling is?

Answer 6

It’s a ruling by the European court of justice which gave a professional footballer the right to a free transfer at the end of their contract.

Question 7

In what ways do coaches have a legal responsibility to their athletes?

Answer 7

• Health and safety (access to first aid facilities and the emergency services)
• Protection from abuse (both physical and emotional abuse)
• Supplements (educate them on drug abuse and legal nutrition and supplements)
• Duty of care

Question 8

When working with young children particularly what factors should a coach demonstrate to show a duty of care?

Answer 8

• Keeping up-to-date contact details, medical details, registers of attendance
• Maintaining appropriate supervision ratios
• Ensuring that first aid provision is available at the club
• Ensuring the individuals regularly involved in coaching children have a current DBS clearance
• Ensuring they have undertaken an appropriate risk assessment for the activities being coached

Question 9

What measures have been introduced to try and ensure safety and overcome hooliganism at sports events?

Answer 9

• Removal of perimeter fences and terraces; all seater stadia to replace the terraces
• Control of alcohol sales on the way to grounds as well as in the grounds
• Specified kick-off times imposed by police (in local derbies especially, early kick offs can be imposed to reduce the amount of alcohol consumption)
• Increased security and police presence, intelligence gathering, improved police liaison between forces across the country and indeed the world
• Tougher deterrents e.g banning orders, fines, imprisonment for offenders

Question 10

Name different legislation acts that have been introduced to control fan behaviour and briefly explain them?

Answer 10

• Occupiers liability act (1957); states that the occupier of a premises owes a common duty of care to their visitors.
• Safety of sports ground act (1975); it protects all spectators and covers all grounds in all sports
• Sporting events (control of alcohol etc) act (1985); used to ban the possession of alcohol at a football match or on the journey to the match
• Fire safety and safety of place of sport act (1987); a fire security certificate/licence needs to be gained from the local authority for an event to happen
• The football spectators act (1989); this allows banning orders on individuals who have committed offences and the act prevents them from attending sports events for a period of time
• The football offences act (1991); this created three offences at football grounds to prevent the throwing of missiles, the chanting of racist remarks and trespassing on the field of play