International Football Legal Research Guide
(Updated April 1, 2020)
The IFLRG is a comprehensive, frequently updated legal research guide for all things dealing with football (soccer) and the law. This guide focuses on English and Spanish-language sources and sources relevant to the sport in the United States.
The International Football (Soccer) Legal Research Guide was constructed by Ryan Schmidtke, an international law student at Stetson University College of Law in Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States, for the Advanced Legal Research — International Law course taught by Professor Wanita Scroggs. Questions, comments, and suggestions for Mr. Schmidtke regarding the research guide can be directed to schmidtker8@gmail.com or @rschmidtke8 on Twitter. This research guide will be updated with more relevant sources when practicable. The most recent update time is visible in the article sub-heading.
The International Football (Soccer) Legal Research Guide includes a variety of international, regional, and domestic legal sources used to regulate the game of football around the world. Among these sources are international and regional treaties, domestic league bylaws, arbitral cases/decisions, and more academic and journalistic publications that clarify or critique some of these sources of football law. This guide aims to provide legal practitioners and students with a comprehensive source containing the most current laws related to the sport of football (soccer).
In order to maintain the utmost relevance to the modern game while recognizing the cultural, economic, and political role of football (soccer) around the world, this guide explores the public and private sources of law, notably arbitration cases and regional conventions, regulating various aspects of the game. These aspects include: the day-to-day management of football clubs, football players, and numerous football-related business activities as they relate to human rights, the environment, and corruption. Some U.S. sources are emphasized due to their relevance to the author’s hopeful career in football for a club or organization within the United States. While the guide aims to provide a thorough list and explanation of relevant football law sources, many of the arbitration decisions and news articles are limited to more recent topics.*
The sources are presented by source in alphabetical order. Academic Articles are first, then Arbitration Decisions, then Blogs/News Sources/Other Websites, Conventions/Treaties, Domestic Cases, Domestic Organizations, International Organizations, Regional Cases, Regional Organizations, Research Guides, and Statutes.
*This Research Guide is a collection of information from other sources, authors, and organizations. In no way do I claim ownership or copyright of the information collected herein aside from the descriptive paragraphs included below most entries. The IFLRG is made for educational and informational purposes only.
ACADEMIC ARTICLES
Football law as a whole is a very narrow legal subject. Without a specific legal journal focused on the field, practitioners, scholars, and students must submit their articles to other journals in order to share their academic research with the international legal community. Based on the author’s findings, football law has found a home in U.S. sports law journals and reviews as well as international law journals and a few in the fields of the humanities and social sciences. The following articles relate to football law in one way another, spanning legal subjects from business and corruption, child/human trafficking, anti-trust, freedom of movement, and nationality discrimination.
An Interim Essay on FIFA’s World Cup of Corruption: The Desperate Need For International Corporate Governance Standards at FIFA, ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law, Bruce W. Bean
In this article, Bean reviews the circumstances surrounding the FIFA indictments from May 2015 and later. Bean also analyzes the possibility that FIFA officials could be subjects of U.S. criminal law, the controversy of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup selection process, the validity and perception of FIFA internal corruption review processes, and makes suggestions for how to proceed from where the organization stood as of the article’s publication in 2016. This article is essential reading for anyone curious about the controversy of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup host nation selection process and other corruption scandals surrounding FIFA. From the perspective of an American researcher, this article is focused on U.S. criminal law but considers international law and the unique role FIFA has as an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ilsaic22&div=20&id=&page=
Better Off at Home? Rethinking Responses to Trafficked West African Footballers in Europe, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, James Esson
In this article Esson analyzes cases of West African footballers who migrate to Europe under the false pretenses promised by smugglers of playing football for recognized European clubs. The article particularly reviews the current methods to prevent current trafficking of West African males including: stronger regulation of international transfers between clubs to prevent illicit transfers of young players and educate people in the home countries of players to avoid falling victim to smugglers and human traffickers. The article goes on to question a school of thought in the field that claims that these individuals would be “better off at home” as opposed to ending up in Europe without proper documentation and authorization. The author claims that an important reason why players choose to leave on journeys to Europe is to specifically escape the economic and political conditions of their locality; for them, staying and continuing their way of life is not a realistic option. According to the author’s analysis based on conversations with Nigerians living in Paris and Accra, it is already understood that travelling to Europe without authorization has inherent negative risks. This article is relevant for any attorney affiliated with a club looking to monitor the movement and transfer of their minor players, or for a club that is scouting players from areas outside of their region/regional association. Club awareness is important to minimize the negative impacts of player trafficking from West Africa and elsewhere.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2014.927733
See also, Challenging popular representations of child trafficking in football, Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, James Esson and Eleanor Drywood
See also, Corrupt Passions: An Analysis of the FIFA Indictments, Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law, Vincent Sheu
https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/tresl18&div=7&id=&page=
European Football’s Home-Grown Players Rules and Nationality Discrimination Under the European Community Treaty, Marquette Sports Law Review, Lloyd Freeburn
This article analyzes the conflicts that have and will arise, according to the author, due to the Treaty of the European Union and UEFA rules differing in their goal of preventing nationality-based discrimination in contrast to UEFA and domestic football association policies favoring “homegrown” players as opposed to foreigners in certain circumstances like player registration and roster construction. The article develops the potential drawbacks that could result from the new “4+4” rule implemented to encourage the development of local, “homegrown” players while simultaneously restricting players’ freedom of movement up until the players reach a certain age. The author explains that this new policy is similar to the rule that was banned in the Bosman ruling addressed later in this research guide. This article will be useful for any researcher curious about the more technical elements of FIFA and UEFA rules as they relate to “homegrown” players, limiting non-EU spots on player rosters, and the flexibility/restrictions placed on sporting organizations within the Treaty for the European Union.
Investigating Corruption in Corporate Sport: The IOC and FIFA, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Andrew Jennings
In this 2011 article, Jennings analyzes the potential for corruption in the international sports governing bodies, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Fédération Internationale Football Association (FIFA). The author reviewed the then-current practices of the organizations while coming to the conclusion that increased transparency in organization actions and procedures combined with the organizations being held to an increased level of accountability would help to address and reduce the prevalence of corruption within the organizations. The author concludes by encouraging academics and journalists alike to continue to look into the organizations from a heightened investigative perspective in order to uncover corruption and bring to light many IOC and FIFA activities that were hidden “behind closed doors.” This article by itself is revelatory of a number of practices differing from the principles espoused by the named organizations. Furthermore, as the article was published in 2011, it can be stated that this article preceded the FIFA indictments of 2015 and later, calling for journalists and academics to critique the sporting organization giants. This article is relevant for any researcher investigating corruption in international sports governing bodies.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1012690211408845
See also, Moral Panic, Human Trafficking and the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Agenda, Empowering Women for Gender Equality, Chandre Gould
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10130950.2010.9676321
Solidarity Compensation Framework in Football Revisited, The International Sports Law Journal, Jakub Laskowski
In this article Laskwoski revisits the concept of solidarity compensation, or solidarity payments, in European football. The author looks at current solidarity compensation rules according to FIFA and analyzes their compatibility with EU law. The article also reviews current FIFA policies and the efficacy of the policies to incentivize clubs to train and develop youth players in European clubs. While this recent article looks at developments in FIFA solidarity compensation rules as it applies under EU law, this article is relevant to the current debate in the United States regarding solidarity payments from European clubs to youth football clubs in the United States. The issue of solidarity payments is growing in importance in the United States following the transfers of American players Deandre Yedlin and Christian Pulisic. This article is relevant to any researcher or practitioner advocating for change to solidarity payment recognition in the United States or how the framework operates according to EU law.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40318-018-0134-y
See also, UEFA v. The European Community: Attempts of the Governing Body of European Soccer to Circumvent EU Freedom of Movement and Antidiscrimination Labor Law, Chicago Journal of International Law, Lindsey Valaine Briggs
World Cup 2026 Now Accepting Bribes: A Fundamental Transformation of FIFA’s World Cup Bid Process, The International Sports Law Journal, Ryan J. Becker
In this article Becker proposes that FIFA collaborate with other international sporting organizations to form a World Anti-Corruption Agency to put a stop to bribes, kickbacks, vote trading, and other violations of trust and organizational policy in order to gain the confidence of the public and the international sports/football community. The author argues that drastic measures need to be taken by FIFA in order to restore their status in the field. Provided that FIFA works vigorously to reinstate proactive anti-corruption measures, the author sees the reputation of the organization improving over time. This article is relevant to any international sports law attorney working to prevent corruption and corrupt practices by influencing an organization they are affiliated with.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40318-013-0011-7
See also, Would a Closed European Soccer League Violate TFEU Article 101, Columbia Journal of European Law, Aaron Rogoff
ARBITRATION DECISIONS
Among the most voluminous and impactful legal sources in international football law are arbitration decisions. FIFA granted the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) jurisdiction through organizational statutes to act as the organization’s dispute resolution body. The CAS publishes all decisions online and they are sometimes available in more than one language, one usually being English. The following decisions are some of the more recent and impactful football-specfic decisions published by the CAS, in alphabetical order.
AC Milan v. UEFA, CAS 2018/A/5808.
This case involves the Italian Serie A team, AC Milan, and the regional governing body for European football, UEFA. Before the CAS, AC Milan appealed a UEFA disciplinary ruling that would prohibit them from playing in a UEFA-sanctioned tournament like the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League. The reason for the suspension being that AC Milan allegedly failed to meet the “break-even” requirement for club finances that would meet Financial Fair Play requirements for financial stability and fairness. The CAS annulled the UEFA decision to suspend the club for 2 years and referred the case back to the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber. The case is relevant for any attorney affiliated with a club who is curious about the procedure and application of UEFA FFP policies. The following link leads to the official English version of the CAS decision.
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Award_Final_5808.pdf
Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield v. English FA, Manchester City FC and FIFA, CAS 2016/A/4903.
In this case, much like others related to transfer bans for the signing of foreign (non-EU) minor players, the Argentine organization, Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield brought a case before the CAS against the English FA and English team Manchester City FC regarding the signing of player Benjamin Garre. Garre was signed at the age of 16, which, according to Vélez, would violate FIFA transfer policies. Manchester City argued that the player maintained an Italian passport and had already played for the English club multiple times prior to his 16th birthday. Due to the fact that he maintained an Italian passport and he was free to move on his own to work within the European Union, the CAS denied the Argentine club’s appeal and permitted Garre to sign with Manchester City. The following link leads to the official English version of the CAS decision.
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Award_4903_FINAL.pdf
José Paolo Guerrero v. FIFA, CAS 2018/A/5546.
This recent case involved the question of player suspension due to violations of anti-doping rules, specifically for using a substance listed on the WADA 2017 banned substances list. The player plead for the CAS to deny any ruling that would suspend the player from playing as the captain of the Peruvian national team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. FIFA called for at least a 6 month ban for the player. The court analyzed the consumption method for the banned substance, the culpability, if any, of the player, and the effect on the player’s reputation that their finding might have. While the court reduced the length of the ban to 14 months minus months already served, the ban was upheld. (However not more than 2 weeks after this ruling, the Swiss Supreme Court ruled to suspend the ban in favor of the player, so he would be allowed to partake in the upcoming World Cup). The following link leads to the official English version of the CAS decision.
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_2018.A.5546__CAS_2018.A.5571_Award_FINAL.pdf
Manchester City FC v. UEFA, CAS 2019/A/6298
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Award_CAS_6298_internet.pdf
Miami FC & Kingston Stockade v. FIFA, CONCACAF and USSF, CAS 2017/O/5264, 5265, 5266
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Award_CAS_5264-5265-5266_internet.pdf
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol v. FIFA, CAS 2016/A/4785.
In this 2016 case the Spanish club, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, appealed the FIFA imposed transfer ban before the CAS. FIFA imposed the ban due to violations of FIFA’s Article 19. The issue involved the club’s signing of minor players under circumstances prohibited by FIFA. Real Madrid’s appeal was denied by the CAS and the transfer ban was upheld against the Spanish club. An understanding of this case, along with similar cases and appeals filed by La Liga teams FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid is important for anyone hoping to better understand the laws of transfers in football, especially the rules regarding signing minors. For practitioners affiliated with a professional football club, understanding these rulings and the violations committed by the aforementioned clubs will ensure that their club does is not on the receiving end of a similar transfer ban. The following link leads to the official English version of the CAS decision.
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Award_4785__FINAL__with_signature_for_publication.pdf
BLOGS, NEWS SOURCES, AND OTHER WEBSITES
Any fan or person familiar with football will know any number of news sources or websites to find information related to their favorite players or local clubs. Just as there is an enormous amount of information related to football in general, there are a handful of websites that focus on football law and elements of football law relevant to the modern game. The following sources include certain international sources and some U.S. sources to emphasize some of the current legal issues surrounding the sport in the United States.
ASIL
ASIL is a well-known source for information on international law and is a valuable source for legal research. While it provides value in a number of areas, the database was limited to the following article for football law information. The linked article would be helpful to a legal researcher or practitioner hoping to acquire a better understanding of the recent FIFA corruption scandal from the perspective of public international law.
Asser International Sports Law Blog
Asser is another valuable source for international sports law topics. The blog is searchable and there is a high volume of football-specific information throughout the website. The following link leads to the general blog site but can be searched to find information written by practicing attorneys and scholars in the field of international sports law and football law, specifically.
https://www.asser.nl/SportsLaw/Blog/
Law In Sport
Law In Sport is a great resource, like some of the others discussed in this guide, that focuses on sports law in general with more specific football articles throughout the website. A link to football-specific article and source collections is included later in this guide. The links in this section lead to articles focusing on two important issues within the sport. One article focuses on the more recent “transfer bans” for the Spanish La Liga trio, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid due to signing minors and violating FIFA transfer policies for the signing of players under the age of 18 from outside of the European Union. The second article focuses on the concept of unilateral contract extension options and their validity/enforceability. Membership to the website is required in order to view some articles but a basic account is free and comes with a number of benefits.
CONVENTIONS AND TREATIES
As one might imagine, the idea of a football law convention or treaty is certainly more abstract and rare than business, human rights, and the environment. However rare it might be, the concept of sport is linked with a number of established conventions and treaties. Football is referred to in a small number of specific conventions while sport is referred to more often in the context of culture and cultural heritage. The following conventions include some that address sport overall and some that address the behavior of fans at sporting events and football stadiums in Europe.
Council of Europe: Anti-Doping Convention
Like many legal sources in this guide, the Anti-Doping Convention focuses on sports in general but refers to football. The Convention was signed in Strasbourg and entered into force in 1990. The Convention’s “banned substances” list is updated yearly with the 2019 list already published. According to the website, The Anti-Doping Convention aims to “mak[e] it harder to obtain and use banned substances such as anabolic steroids; assis[t] the funding of anti-doping tests; establis[h] a link between the strict application of anti-doping rules and awarding subsidies to sports organisations or individual sportsmen and sportswomen…” among other things. The convention was ratified by 47 European nations on top of the Russian Federation. Furthermore, it was signed and ratified by Canada, Australia, Morrocco, and Tunisia. This source is valuable for any advisor to a football player or club. Ensuring that a player does not accidentally consume banned substances could potentially save their entire professional career an reputation. The same goes for advising club nutrition staff from a legal perspective.
https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/135
Council of Europe: Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security, and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events
Signed by France, Monaco, Poland, and the Russian Federation, this multilateral convention entered into force on November 1, 2017. While European participation was fairly limited, the issue of spectator safety at football matches in particular became something to address prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup taking place from June-July throughout Russia. The importance of Russian participation and ratification of this convention likely symbolized a sign of good will and diligence in preparation of the upcoming tournament that would be witnessed by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The convention addresses the need for public comfort and safety at sports events to make sure these events are pleasant for all spectators. Furthermore, the articles of the convention ask to ensure cooperation and coordination between local and state government agencies and stadium officials to maintain safety and respect the rule of law to, from, and within stadiums. The convention mentions a recurring problem within the international football community: racist or other discriminatory behavior. While mentioning that issue in Article 5, section 5, the convention merely requests that stadiums make clear policies and procedures that address the issue without requiring any further action or setting a standard for these policies.
https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?objid=08000002804e36d5&clang=_en
Council of Europe: European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
The following link leads to the European Convention on Human Rights as drafted in 1950 and the subsequent additional protocols. The European Convention on Human Rights is likely not the first nor second convention or treaty one associates with international football law. The ECHR refers to general concepts like the freedom of movement, the freedom from arbitrary detention, and other, now codified, humanitarian principles. As mentioned in the later ECHR case section in this research guide, the European Convention on Human Rights does not refer to football but is used in a number of football-related cases.
https://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf%23page=9
European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in Particular at Football Matches
Entering into force on November 1, 1985, this convention represents the collective efforts of the Council of Europe to respond to a wave of violence taking place at sporting events and football matches, especially, throughout Europe. With various local and regional tensions flaring outside of the political and military arenas, something needed to be done to curtail riots, fights, brawls, and other malicious activity taking place within stadiums used for sport. The convention calls for multiple forms of domestic action in the first regional or international convention addressing this issue head-on.
As expected, the convention emphasizes the important role of domestic law enforcement and governmental bodies to enforce the articles within the convention’s body. As well, the convention requests the involved nations and the management of stadia within those nations to consider the convention provisions as they generally call for: separation of opposing fans to minimize potential violent interactions, provide for a functional PA system, preventing dangerous articles like fireworks from introduction to the stands, and prohibiting the introduction of outside alcoholic beverages into the stadia. This convention was ratified by a number of major players like France, Germany, Spain, and the USSR but merely signed by the United Kingdom, arguably the biggest footballing nation in Europe at the time. The convention has since been denounced by various nations within the European Union.
https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?objid=08000002800c8f42&clang=_en
See also, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — Sport Climate Action Framework
https://unfccc.int/news/sports-launch-climate-action-framework-at-cop24
DOMESTIC CASES
Compared to arbitration decisions and regional cases, domestic cases and the information on football-related within domestic court systems are/is especially rare. For this reason, few domestic football law cases are included in this research guide. The case included is one of the most notable football law cases according to the determination of the author in the United States. For more U.S. domestic cases see the Research Guides section of this guide and the Socceresq.com source.
Fraser v. Major League Soccer, 284 F.3d 47 (1st Cir. 2002).
In an anti-trust suit filed by Major League Soccer Players against the league, the MLS, league investors, and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the players alleged various violations committed by the league.
“In count I, the players claimed MLS and its operator/investors violated Sherman Act section 1 by agreeing not to compete for player services. In count III, the players claimed MLS monopolized or attempted to monopolize, or combined or conspired with the USSF to monopolize, the market for the services of Division I professional soccer players in the U.S., in violation of Sherman Act section 2…”
Eventually the players were unsuccessful in their suit as the court found that the league could not conspire with itself, as the franchises and investors operating with authorization of the league functioned as a single entity.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-1st-circuit/1441684.html
DOMESTIC ORGANIZATIONS
The following sections refer to the rules and statutes of a number of top football leagues around the world. The rules of the Mexican Football Association and the United States Soccer Federation are included due to their geographic and practical relevance to the author’s studies and hopeful practice in the area.
Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. (DFB)
The following link leads to the German-language statutes for the Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. or the German Football Association. The link is relevant for any attorney doing business with a German player or with a player affiliated with a German league. Unfortunately the source is not available in English but the root website, dfb.de/en/en-start/, can provide a researcher with information on the association in English.
https://www.dfb.de/fileadmin/_dfbdam/159360-02_Satzung.pdf
English FA
The following link leads to the website for the most recent version of the interactive official rule handbook published by the English Football Association (FA). Presented in an English-only format, the handbook is easy to navigate as a tool for anyone interested in understanding the laws governing the English FA, specifically. An account may be needed to view this document.
http://handbook.fapublications.com/#!/book/30
Fédération Française de Football (FFF)
The following link leads directly to the French-only version of the statutes for the Fédération Française de Football (FFF) or the French Football Federation. The statutes are relevant for any researcher or practitioner working with a French club or player.
https://www.fff.fr/static/uploads/media/cms_pdf/0003/64/8f90c8edecc4615571b49cfb5a928ecf5b992175.pdf
Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC)
The following link leads directly to the Italian-only version of the statutes for the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) or the Italian Federation for Association Football. The statutes are relevant for any researcher or practitioner working with an Italian club or player.
https://www.figc.it/it/federazione/norme/statuto-della-figc/
Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación (FMFA)
The following link leads directly to the Spanish-only version of the statutes for the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociacieon (FMFA) or the Mexican Football Association. The statutes are relevant for any researcher or practitioner working with a Mexican club or player.
http://www.femexfut.org.mx/#/reglamentos/Competencias
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
See below for a download link of the 2019–2020 NCAA Division I, II, and III Manuals for collegiate sports in the United States of America.
Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)
The following link leads directly to the Spanish-only version of the statutes for the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) or the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The statutes are relevant for any researcher or practitioner working with a Spanish club or player. Due to the recent success and relevance of the Spanish league and associated clubs, the author has included links directly to the most recent general rules and statutes for the association.
https://cdn1.sefutbol.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Estatutos-RFEF-vigente-Temporada-2018-2019.pdf
https://cdn1.sefutbol.com/sites/default/files/pdf/reglamento_general_marzo_2019_0.pdf
United States Soccer Federation (USSF)
The following link leads to the website hosting the English version of the bylaws, statutes, and rules for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The statutes are especially relevant for a practicing sports law and football law attorney in the United States. An increased number of lawsuits have implicated the USSF as a party. An understanding of these statutes is necessary for any attorney attempting to bring a suit against the federation on behalf of a club, separate league, player, or ownership group.
https://www.ussoccer.com/about/governance/bylaws
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Throughout the world, football is governed formally by FIFA. FIFA assigns jurisdiction for almost all related legal matters to the CAS. As expected, other international organizations are involved in the world of sport and football, in particular. As included in this guide, the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee are just a few relevant international organizations that address sport and football formally in some manner.
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
The following link leads to the 2019 edition of the Code for the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Familiarity with this source is crucial for anyone interested in practicing sports law internationally and football law, in particular. The code is expansive as one would expect for the rules and procedures for an international court of arbitration. This source is available in both English and French for international attorneys and researchers.
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Code_2019__en_.pdf
Fédération Internationale Football Association (FIFA)
The following links lead to the website containing official documents for both laws and regulations of FIFA member organizations, clubs, and players and the governance rules for FIFA as an organization itself. As FIFA is one of the largest and oldest global non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the linked document libraries include a number of sources that are critical to the regulation of modern football around the world. A modern football law attorney and researcher would need to familiarize themselves with the variety of up to date sources archived within the links below.
https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/who-we-are/official-documents/#fifa-footballGovernance
https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/who-we-are/official-documents/#fifa-laws-regulations
FIFA recently published their “FIFA — Legal” section of their website where relevant documents and contacts are located. This section includes information on: all rules and regulations, FIFA’s judicial body/bodies, Transfer Management System (TMS), and compliance.
https://www.fifa.com/who-we-are/legal/
The legal topic of human rights is becoming increasingly relevant and one addressed by FIFA in the following link. In the “Second Report by the FIFA Human Rights Advisory Board” published in September 2018, the board made certain recommendations relating to the key human rights issues in the modern game, including: the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and discrimination against women in Iran. As human rights finds its rightful place as a topic of international importance, familiarity with FIFAs actions, recommendations, and responses to these issues would be helpful for anyone working in the international football sphere, especially in football law.
https://img.fifa.com/image/upload/hwl34aljrosubxevkwvh.pdf
While human rights grows as a legal issue of international importance, so too does the concept of social responsibility, especially within the sporting world. FIFA initiated their “Football for Planet” project for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and have continued the project through various tournaments. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the organization hoped to offset carbon production, develop sustainable stadium initiatives including LEED certifications for a majority of stadiums used in the tournament, as well as waste management procedures in the same venues. While the efficacy of these procedures can and should be questioned, especially in the case of the 2014 World Cup, more official information on the topic can be found at the following link. This source will be useful for an attorney working alongside an international sports organization or football club who might hope to modify or maintain current practices to minimize environmental impacts and maximize social responsibility of their respective organization.
https://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/socialresponsibility/footballforplanet/index.html
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The following link refers to the most recent English version of the International Olympic Committee’s Charter, including their rules and regulations for tournaments. While not specific to football, the IOC Charter includes all rules for the Olympics. This would be helpful for any attorney working with athletes that hope to participate in the Games or country federations that have a team in the Games. While football is just one of many sports involved in the world-renowned tournament, the Olympics can sometimes be overshadowed as a football tournament by the FIFA World Cup and the various continental tournaments presented by UEFA, CONCACAF, etc.
United Nations (UN)
When one thinks of the United Nations, neither sport nor football are likely to be one of the associated subjects. However, as the organization responsible for collective security and governance measures around the world, the UN has a few sources specific to sport. Among these sources are articles looking at the important global issues of plastic pollution and corruption and how sport is involved in these two issues. While these sources do not hold legally-binding authority, they may provide guidance to an attorney or business working in the international football world. The following links lead to the UN websites for the aforementioned topics.
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/10-ways-world-sport-tackling-plastic-pollution
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/safeguardingsport/index.html
REGIONAL CASES
Normally football law is administered through the CAS or prior to the CAS at the domestic level. In the event that a particular issue might fall outside of the jurisdiction of either or the parties involved choose to seek a remedy particular to a regional convention or treaty, a regional court will be implicated. The few sources included are specific to Europe where football law is addressed by established tribunals, using regional sources of law.
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
The following link leads to a document published by the European Court of Human Rights in March 2019 listing a number of sports-specific cases calling for or resulting in their opinion on the issue. The document refers to and provides summaries for at least nine football-specific cases in Europe and explains the human rights issues/violations of the European Convention on Human rights implicated in those cases. This source would be relevant for any attorney affiliated with a football club or player in Europe. As well, this source would be helpful for an attorney representing a club supporter or club supporter’s group involved in a dispute or detention by local police or club security. As a note for researchers: a number of the included football-specific cases involve detention of fans/club supporters.
https://echr.coe.int/Documents/FS_Sport_ENG.pdf
European Court of Justice (ECJ)
Perhaps the most famous football law case in the whole world and at least the most famous football law case heard before the ECJ, the 1995 Bosman case involved the transfer of player Jean-Marc Bosman between a Belgian and French football club and the right to free movement outlined in the European Community Treaty, now Article 45(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The ruling in favor of Bosman in this case allowed him to leave for a foreign club upon the expiration of his transfer where he was previously prevented from doing so. This led to a new era in modern football transfers and eased the burdens previously placed on the transfers of football players between EU nations. The following link leads to the transcript of the judgement.
Union royale belge des sociétés de football association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman, Royal club liégeois SA v. Jean-Marc Bosman and others, and Union des associations européennes de football (UEFA) v Jean-Marc Bosman. Dec. 15, 1995. ECHR, Case C-415/93.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A61993CJ0415
REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
This section includes references to all six continental/regional organizations governing the sport of football and their statutes or bylaws, more specifically. The regional organizations follow the guidance of FIFA in general but some vary in their application and inclusion of certain principles within their statutes. The most recent version of statutes or bylaws can be found by clicking on the corresponding links. One can also find supplemental information for UEFA laws and procedures as one of the primary regional organizations often in the global spotlight. English versions are included where available.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
The following link includes the most recent official statutes for the AFC, setting the rules for all clubs and players within the Asian continent. This source would be helpful for any practitioner working with Asian clients or for anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the official rules for football in Asia.
http://www.the-afc.com/afc/documents/PdfFiles/afc-statutes-2019-edition
Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)
The following link includes the most recent official statutes for the CAF, setting the rules for all clubs and players within the African continent. This source would be helpful for any practitioner working with African clients or for anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the official rules for football in Africa.
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football
(CONCACAF)
The following link includes the most recently available official statutes for CONCACAF, setting the rules for all clubs and players within North and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. This source would be helpful for any practitioner working with clients in the aforementioned continent and region or for anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the official rules for football in the region. Most relevant for an attorney specializing in football law in the United States, these laws will provide them with general guidance on the procedures of the governing body in the region.
Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL)
The following link includes the most recently available official statutes for CONMEBOL, setting the rules for all clubs and players within the South American continent. This source would be helpful for any practitioner working with South American clients or for anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the official rules for football in South America. Unfortunately for English-speaking researchers and practitioners, this source is only available in Spanish and Portuguese.
http://www.conmebol.com/sites/default/files/estatuto-conmebol-2018-esp.pdf
Oceania Football Confederation (OFA)
The following link includes the most recent official statutes for the OFA, setting the rules for all clubs and players in Oceania. This source would be helpful for any practitioner working with clients in the region or for anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the official rules for football among the Oceanic nations. Also relevant to a researcher is the fact that Australia is not considered within the region and is instead a member nation in the AFC.
https://www.oceaniafootball.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/OFC-Statutes-English_2018.pdf
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
The following link leads to the UEFA document library, containing all regulations related to the organization, the organization’s administrative bodies, players, and the member clubs making up the organization.
https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/documentlibrary/regulations/index.html
The following link leads to the 2018 UEFA regulations for the implementation and application of the above UEFA statutes. Familiarity with the following document as a source of procedural rule at UEFA would be imperative for any practitioner in Europe or an intermediary who does business with European clubs or players.
https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/56/20/45/2562045_DOWNLOAD.pdf
RESEARCH GUIDES
Among the following sources are research guides in multiple forms. Some are more organized than others as formal guides. Other websites include vast lists of articles and links related to regional and international football law issues. As with the majority of research on this topic, it can be difficult to identify football-specific sources where “sport” might be referred to more generally. The general “sports law” guides included have an explicit football/soccer section with sources useful for any researcher.
The Beautiful Game: The Law of Soccer/Football Research Guide — Harvard University
This research guide is the most comprehensive and specific to football law around the world. While some of the links are outdated or dysfunctional, there is a wide variety of information to pick from. Curated by a Harvard librarian, this guide includes links to relevant books, other research guides, and the domestic league websites for a number of football associations around the world. Presented in a user-friendly format, this guide should be in every practitioners bookmarks.
https://guides.library.harvard.edu/football-law#s-lg-box-6334920
Law In Sport — Essential Reading for Football Lawyers and Agents
This website in general is a more informal guide with links to articles hosted on the same website, written by practitioners in the field of sports law. The subsequent link leads to a lengthy page with a list of articles, podcasts, and more sources with information on legal issues in football. The information is not formatted to be a research guide so it might take some digging to find something specific without a search box like a normal database might have.
NYU Globalex: International Sports Law Research Guide
This website is one of the largest and most referenced international sports law research guides according to my research. The guide is generally focused on international sports law but there is a helpful section focusing on football, specifically.
Olympics and International Sports Law Research Guide — Georgetown Law
This well-organized legal research guide is presented in a similar format to other guides presented by law libraries. This is one of the least football-specific research guides but includes links and citations for a number of relevant sources like the IOC and FIFA.
http://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/lawolympics
See also, Soccer, Football, Fútbol, Calcio — Research Guide — NYU
https://guides.nyu.edu/c.php?g=276906&p=1846495
Socceresq
This informal guide is presented in a list format by U.S. attorney Miki Turner. Written in 2019 but updated periodically, this guide includes explanations for a number football-related lawsuits currently or recently presented in U.S. courts. Specific to lawsuits and cases, this website would be an ideal place to start for any researcher curious about the current legal state of the sport within the United States and legal issues that are at play. — This site is currently offline but the author, Miki Turner, has great information on Twitter, @turneresq.
https://socceresq.com/2019/01/28/your-guide-to-every-soccer-lawsuit-in-the-united-states-and-beyond/
Statutes
United States of America
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act “FCPA” of 1977, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/criminal-fraud/legacy/2012/11/14/fcpa-english.pdf.
