SPORTS LAW WORLD

An Outline By Gregory J. Tarone, Esq.

Levels/Spheres: 

• Backyard and Schoolyard 

• Youth (League, Pee Wee, Pop Warner, Camps) 

• Scholastic (Little League, YMCA, Schools, Camps) 

• Collegiate (Junior College, College, and University Sports) 

• Noncollegiate (Club and Intramural) 

• Professional/Quasi-Professional 

• International (Olympic Games, Pan-American Games, Paralympics, et.c) Professional Associations and Leagues 

Areas of Laws, Rules, or Regulations: 

• Agency 

• Contracts 

• Ethics 

• Labor (Scholarships as Employment Contracts, Unions) 

• Constitutional (First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments plus Title IX) Antitrust 

• Intellectual Property (Patent, Trademark & Copyright) 

• Torts (Negligence, Employment, Products Liability, etc.) 

• Worker’s Compensation 

• Insurance (Disability, Life, etc.) 

• Taxation 

• Estate Planning 

• Criminal (Ice Hockey, Skiing) 

• Immigration 

• International 

• Federal Communications Commission Broadcast Regulations Internet/Worldwide Web 

• Civil Procedure (State or Federal Court?) 

• State and Federal Regulation (Athlete Agent Registration, etc.) Federal and State Law (Statutory and Case) 

Whom/What Affected: 

• Player 

• Parent/Guardian 

• Family 

• Spouse 

• School/University

• Agent/Manager 

• Coach 

• Assistant Coach 

• Physician 

• Trainer 

• Owner (Individual, Group or Municipality) 

• Sponsor 

• Event Organizer 

• Media (Television/Radio/Press/Internet) 

• Film or other properties promoter  

• Benefactor  

• Fan 

• League (and Union) 

• Umpire and Referee 

• Manufacturer of Goods 

• Ticket Vendors 

• Stadium Owners 

• Stadium Operators 

• Vendors/Licenses 

• Conference(s)

• Municipality (Parks and Recreation Departments)

Types of Athletes: 

• “Amateur” Participates for physical, mental, and social benefits as an avocation “Professional” Receives "compensation" to participate 

• "Quasi Amateur" Where a professional athlete becomes a temporary amateur

Regulatory Organizations: 

Youth:

• Little League Baseball 

• Pee Wee Baseball 

• Little League Softball 

• Pop Warner Football 

High School:

• National Federation of State High School Associations 

College:

• National Collegiate Athletic Association 

• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 

• National Junior College Athletic Association  

• Conferences (Big East, Big Ten, ACC, etc.) 

• Student-Athlete Unions (?)

International:

• National Governing Bodies 

• International Olympic Committee  

• United States Olympic Committee  

• International Paralympic Committee 

• International Committee of Sports for the Deaf 

• Special Olympics Committee 

• Invictus Games Committee 

• World Championships Committees 

• World Indoor Championships Committee 

• University Games Committee 

• Military Championships Committee 

• Military Track & Field Championships Committee 

Professional:

• Leagues ( NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NBA, WNBA, etc.) 

• Associations (AAU, PGA, LPGA, ATP, WTA, PBA, USGA, USTA, NASCAR, PBR, Worldwide Wrestling Association3, Horse Racing, etc.) 

  • Players 

  • Unions

  • Agreements /Constitution

  • Minor Leagues 

Special Events:

• Bowls, Tours and Entertainment, Boston Marathon, “Holiday On Ice” Skating, Team Tennis, Harlem Globetrotters, National Veterans, Wheelchair Games 

  • Individuals 

  • Organizations 

Notes:

1. This outline was updated and is copyright ©2020 by Gregory J. Tarone. A.B., J.D., Georgetown University. Admitted to the New York, Florida, Massachusetts, and Colorado bars. Note that this list is not meant to be a comprehensive compilation, but rather, a dynamic, evolving description of the sports law spectrum worldwide, covering all kinds of sports, athletes, organizations, laws, rules, regulations, and ethics.  

2. The International Olympic Committee began allowing professionals to compete in 1988. The NBA and NHL players and others become a sort of “quasi-professionals” for the period during which they are competing. 

3. The World Wrestling Association is generally accepted to be entertainment rather than genuinely competitive sport, and as such utilizes its own regulatory structure for events. 

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