Sport and Society

• Sports law


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


  A sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury in a civil case
• Bosman ruling


  A ruling by the European court of justice which gave a professional football player the right to agree transfer at the end of their contract
• Restraint of trade


  Action that interfered with free competition in a market. In sport, this might involve a clauses in a contract which restricts a persons right to carry out their profession
• Negligence


  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
• Duty of care


  A legal obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of others
• Duty of care applied to coaches

  This requires coaches to take such measures as are 'reasonable' in the circumstances to ensure that individuals will be safe to participate in activity
• "In loco parentis"


  "In place of the parents" indicating a person who may give consent for care of a child when the parents are not present or able to give consent
• Reasons why sports performers may need protection from the law during their careers

  • Protection against foul play/violent acts of opponents (leading to compensation claims)
  • Protection from fans/violent spectators during a game
  • Protection from contractual issues with employers
  • Protection from contractual issues with sponsors/commercial deals
• Negligence


  A failure in the duty of care to a player
• How a sporting official might be deemed negligent in the execution of their duties

  • Repeatedly allowing dangerous incidents to occur (e.g. not punishing a player for repeatedly committing fouls in football)
  • Failure to follow NGB rules/guidelines in relation to safe procedures/practice
  • Not enforcing rules properly
• Steps a sports coach should follow to demonstrate a reasonable standard in terms of a legal duty of care to children and young people


  • Keeping up-to-date contact details/medical details/registers of attendance
  • Maintaining appropriate supervision ratios
  • Ensuring first aid provision is available
  • Ensuring individuals regularly involved in coaching children have current DBS clearance
  • Ensuring an appropriate risk assessment has been undertaken for the activities being coached
• Methods that improve spectator safety

  • Placed a legal responsibility on clubs for a duty of care to provide a safe spectator environment to 'visitors'
  • Controlled who can attend matches by placing banning orders on certain known trouble makers
  • Controlled rival fans chanting racist remarks at each other/players
  • Controlled alcohol sales/alcohol consumption prior to and at football matches
  • Removal of perimeter fencing/creation of all seater stadia to replace terraces
  • An Act controlling missile throwing/trespassing onto the field of play
• Methods of providing a safer environment for football players

  • Increased security and police presence
  • Tougher deterrents e.g. banning orders, fines and imprisonment
  • Illegal to trespass onto the field of play and make racist chants
• Commercialisation in sport


  The process of running sport as a business to make a profit
• The golden triangle


  The financial relationship between sport, sponsorship and media
• Advantages of the golden triangle

  • Increased income to sport for TV coverage
  • Promotion of sport
  • Improved facilities benefit performer and spectator
• Disadvantages of the golden triangle

  • Sensationalists in media
  • Media/sponsors dictating kick off times
  • Only high profile sports televised
• Ring fencing


  Certain sporting events must be available or viewing on terrestrial TV rather then satellite and subscription channels
• Advantages of ring fencing

  • Access wider viewers
  • Ensure geographical access to viewers
  • Enable viewing of certain events to do with culture and heritage
  • Avoid restricting coverage
• Advantages of media on sport

  • Gain knowledge of the spot
  • Increase profiles of sports individuals
  • High income generated
  • Increased standards
  • Highlights positive role models
  • Promotes good health
• Disadvantages of media on sport

  • Some less attractive sports get less coverage
  • Ring-fencing declining
  • NGBs lose control
  • Lower attendance at live events
  • May highlight negative behavior which could be copied in grassroots level
• Positives of commercialisation and sponsorship on SPORT

  • Increased funding
  • Better technology at events
  • Increased role models
  • Increased spectator interest
  • Improved standard
• Negatives of commercialisation and sponsorship on SPORT

  • Sports becoming over reliant on funding
  • Money only goes to popular sports
  • The NGBs can lose control
  • Locations coulds be influenced
• Positives of commercialisation and sponsorship on THE PERFORMER

  • Increased wages
  • Chance at full time sport
  • Improvement in behaviour due to being in public eye
  • Increased funding for training, equipment etc.
• Negatives of commercialisation and sponsorship on THE PERFORMER

  • Increased pressure to win
  • Increase on deviant behaviour
  • Performers as commodities
  • Minority sports receive less funding
  • Demands of media and sponsors have negative impact on performers
  • Performers develop a 'win at all costs' mentality
• Positives of commercialisation and sponsorship on COACHES/MANAGERS

  • Increased salary
  • Increased funding can be invested in sport
• Negatives of commercialisation and sponsorship on COACHES/MANAGERS

  • Under intense pressure to win
  • Interviews can be tough
• Positives of commercialisation and sponsorship on OFFICIALS

  • Increased profile
  • Full time jobs
  • Increased funding
  • Better technology due to funding
• Negatives of commercialisation and sponsorship on OFFICIALS

  • Increased pressure to get decisions right
  • Expectations to give interviews and respond to criticism
  • Can become over-reliant on technology
• Doping


  In competitive sports, doping refers to the use of banned performance enhancing drugs by athletic competitors
• Stimulants


  Drugs that induce a temporary improvement in mental and physical function
• Erythropoietin (EPO)


  Hormone that stimulates RBC production and therefore improves muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness
• Tetrahydrogestrinone (TRT)


  A banned steroid used to increase power which was tweaked by chemists to make it undetectable by 'normal tests'
• Whereabouts system


  A system designed to support out of competition testing which requires athletes to provide the details of their whereabouts so that they can be located at any time and anywhere for testing, with or without notice
• WADA


  World Anti-Doping Agency, created in 1999 with the goal of fighting against doping in sports
• Anabolic steroids


  Synthetic variants of the male hormone testosterone, they improve a performers ability to put on muscle mass
• Beta blockers


  Medication used for heart conditions that works by widening the arteries, allowing increased blood flow and reducing involuntary muscle spasms
• Social reasons for why elite performers use performance enhancing drugs

  • Win at all costs attitude
  • Fame and fortune from success
  • Pressure to win
  • Lack of effective deterrents and believe they will get away with it
  • Poor role models
• Physiological effects of steroids

  • Store protein
  • Aid muscle growth and development
  • Increase strength and power
  • Fat loss
  • Decreases fatigue