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Unit of study_
LAWS5163: Sports Law
2025 unit information
The law of sport is a commercial law subject. This is to be expected in an industry that is a major economic driver, generating revenue in the billions of dollars each year in Australia. Indeed, with the rise of the digital media, internationalisation and the elevation of female competitions, sport is one of the world's fastest growing enterprises. With financial growth comes recognition of how the law guides and affects the business of sport and, in consequence, reflects a growing demand for lawyers with pertinent expertise. Legal issues associated with sport are myriad, and almost inevitably find their way into media discussion or courts of law. For example: when can an athlete's contract be terminated for off-field misconduct; when can an athlete be jailed for on-field violence; what rights do athletes have to their intellectual property; when can an athlete be prosecuted for corruption or doping; to whom do team doctors owe a duty of care; can sporting organisations restrain athletes in trading their reputation; are sport disciplinary tribunals entitled to cancel an athlete's contract; what role does reasonableness and proportionality play in athlete discipline; how can a sporting organisation deal with claims of discrimination; are coaches and clubs legally liable for the actions of their athletes; when is a referee legally liable in the tort of negligence? A great advantage of this subject is that complex legal issues are discussed in a factual setting many are familiar with, thereby promoting meaning, interest and understanding.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
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LAWS5001 and LAWS5002 and LAWS5006 |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
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None |
| Prohibitions:
?
|
LAWS3463 |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. appreciate the impact law has on the industry of sport and identify and critically analyse the legal issues sporting organisations and athletes face
- LO2. identify and evaluate links between the sports law content and other areas of law
- LO3. locate and synthesise research relevant to critically evaluate factual and legal sporting issues
- LO4. construct clear, original and persuasive oral and written arguments that are supported by research and textual readings
- LO5. identify and analyse sports law issues from facts and offer modes of resolution
- LO6. demonstrate enhanced skills of collaboration and negotiation as a result of participating in group-oriented work.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 1 2024
|
Normal evening | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney | |
|
Semester 2 2024
|
Normal evening | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 1 2025
|
Normal evening | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
|
Semester 2 2025
|
Normal evening | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
