Welcome to Football Law
Football / ˈfʊtbɔːl / mass noun 1. a game played by two teams of eleven players using a round ball. Players kick the ball to each other and try to score goals by kicking the ball into a large net…
Law / lɔː / mass noun 1. the system of rules which a particular country or community recognises as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties. 2. a rule defining correct procedure or behaviour in a sport….
Football law – which includes the articles, rules, regulations and so on that govern football’s institutions and procedures – is fascinating for two reasons. Firstly because football is the world’s most popular sport yet so many of its fans and commentators prevaricate or speculate about football’s institutions and procedures, for example not knowing exactly why a player has received a specific sanction for misconduct or which institution’s rules require clubs to operate within their financial capabilities. Secondly, because the articles, rules, regulations and so on that govern football’s institutions and procedures are extremely comprehensive; they provide for the operation of league and cup competitions, what means should be used to settle disputes between football’s participants, the regulation of football transfers and players’ contracts, and much, much more.
What compounds those two points is that the articles, rules, regulations and so on that govern football’s institutions and procedures are freely available and accessible. Simply visit FIFA’s or The FA Premier League’s website and you can access the articles, rules, regulations and so on of that governing body and league respectively.
You may therefore be wondering why there is a need for Football Law. It is not unfair to observe that those articles, rules, regulations and so on are voluminous, scattered, and, at times, not so riveting to read. That is why there is a need for Football Law: to provide you – whether you are a football fan, a lawyer, a pundit, or simply curious – with the details and information of football’s institutions and procedures concisely, reliably and enjoyably. To be your go-to resource for overviews of football’s institutions and procedures. In a nutshell: to make and keep you informed.
Football Law’s Overviews provide overviews of football’s governing bodies, the English football league system, the Court of Arbitration for Sport and football discipline. An overview of football transfers will also be released in time. Suggestions for overview topics are welcome and should be emailed to info@footballlaw.co.uk.
Further, Articles will be published regularly to provide analysis of the latest football law news and decisions, such as announcements from football’s governing bodies and leagues and their latest decisions concerning disciplinary and regulatory matters.
You are able to subscribe to Football Law free of charge to ensure you do not miss any updates made to the overviews or the publication of new articles, and Football Law can also be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Acknowledgements
The creation of Football Law would not have come about but for the help and advice of others who I must thank.
Firstly, Jack Bedford. I am indebted to you for your outstanding creativity, willingness and commitment to convert my bare design ideas into a website that I cannot stop marvelling at. You are an exceptional talent. Thank you.
Secondly to Simon Brindley and Jamie Batchelor. Your support and enthusiasm in Football Law have been motivating and I am tremendously grateful for the time and criticism you have given in proofreading Football Law’s overviews. The legal profession’s loss is Trading Standards’ and the teaching profession’s gain respectively. Thank you.
Thirdly, Mark Hovell of Mills & Reeve and Sean Cottrell and Chris Bond of LawInSport. Thank you for your kindness and enthusiasm in answering and discussing my queries and ambitions in respect of building a career in sports law. I would not have had the confidence to create Football Law otherwise.
Fourthly and lastly, but by no means least, thank you to Cicely for giving me the kick up the backside I needed to take Football Law beyond a nascent idea and for tolerating my fanaticism for all things football.
18 May 2020