91426 - SPORTS LAW

Learning outcomes

The course is meant to provide students with knowledge about sports international legal system, sources of sports law and main legal issues around the world. Starting from the organization of the Italian sports system, a comparison will be made between the various sports systems in the different countries in terms of sporting entities and organizations, main sports contracts, tort liability in sports events. It will also be examined how sporting organizations tackle the current challenges of doping, illegal betting, gaming manipulation, and corruption. Particular attention will be devoted to case law and dispute resolution within sports. At the end of the course, the student will be able to orient himself in the intricacies and complexities of international sports law, and can improve communication and critical thinking skills.

Course contents

Sport legal definition.

Sport legal system and subjects.

Work contract of professional and amateur athlet.

The sport agent.

Sponsoring and image exploitation contract.

Merchandising.

TV rights cession.

Sport liability in tort law.

Sport liability esonerating cause.

Athlet's liability:

- in necessary contact sports: boxe, rugby, hockey, american football;

- in potential contact sports: soccer, basket, volleyball;

- in dangerous sports; motor races, bike races, ski and snow sports, equitation, fencing, hunting;

- in minimum risk sports: tennis, squash, athletics;

- in special contexts: sport training, amateur competitions, children games.

The liability of sport events organizer, of C.O.N.I., of sport Federations.

Sport facilities manager liability.

Teacher and choache liability.

Sport medical doctor liability.

Referee's liability.

Sport justice.

Doping.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students (80% lessons' hours) will study the following book:

Margherita Pittalis, Sport system and liabilities, in the process of publication: attending students will choose the first demand.

Attending students, in order to understanding better the topics, will have at their disposal also the contractual forms and cases explained during the lessons (available in section “materiale didattico” on the Professor website).

Non attending students will study the following book:

Margherita Pittalis, Sport system and liabilities, in the process of publication. There will be not demand to be chosen by the non attending students.

Teaching methods

Lessons will be entirely taught by Prof. Margherita Pittalis.

The Professor will explain the most relevant topics, with comments on the contracts forms and cases.

Assessment methods

Lesson will be taught in the second semester.

The examination will be oral.

For students that will satisfy the attendance requirements will be possible to take the exam in all sessions from May 2023.

Only attending students will have the chance to choose the first demand. The Preface and all the chapters of the book will be mandatory.

Non attending students will not choose any demand; the questions may concern all the chapters of the text, including the Preface.

The assessment of the interview will be carried out taking into consideration:

• the knowledge of institutional profiles;
• the ability to analyze the jurisprudential and doctrinal guidelines;
• the ability to make connections between the different parts of the program;
• the ability to develop critical arguments;
• the exposure articulation;
• the accuracy of the exposure.

By way of example, the following criteria will be used to assign the final mark (that will be out of 30/30):

- knowledge of a very limited number of topics, extensive support by the interviewer to address and answer the questions, basic yet appropriate language à 18-19/30;

- knowledge of a limited number of topics, ability to autonomously address basic legal problems, use of appropriate language → 20-24/30;

- comprehensive knowledge of the programme, ability to autonomously and critically analyse legal problems, use of specific terminology → 25-29/30;

- extensive knowledge of the programme, ability to reason autonomously and critically analyse legal problems, make connections between the topics, ability to master the specific terminology and ability to present legal arguments. → 30-30L/30.

Registration for the final exam must be done using the Almaesami application ( https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm ).

Degree thesis

The degree thesis will be assigned by Prof. Margherita Pittalis after an interview.

Teaching tools

The teacher, in order to clarify legal concepts, will explain in classroom contractual forms and cases (available in section “Course unit teaching material” on the Professor website).

Students which need compensatory tools for reasons of disability or Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) will communicate to the teacher their needs so as to be directed to the dedicated person and arrange on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Margherita Pittalis [https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/margherita.pittalis/en]

Office hours

See the website of Margherita Pittalis