Public Law Studies Quarterly

Legal Framework of Domestic and International Football: Has a Distinct Football Law Developed?

Document Type : Article

Authors

Mostafa Soleimani Babadi 1
Mohammad Sadeghi 2
Seyed Mehdi Mirdadashi 3

1 Ph.D. in Private Law, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, Hazrat Masoumeh University, Qom, Iran

3 Associate Prof, Department of Private Law, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2024.376849.3538
Abstract
Football is governed by a network of rules and regulations. The Laws of the Game regulate the activities of players and coaches on the field. In addition, football has codified oversight of contractual rights and obligations of its members, including players and clubs, through transfer regulations and rules on the status of players. This paper examines the legal status of these regulations and considers whether, given their characteristics, they can constitute an independent legal system known as football law. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method and analyzes the regulations of FIFA and the Iranian Football Federation. Considering the historical development of FIFA regulations and the mechanisms through which they were established, we argue that due to the unique nature of football regulations and their distinctive features, these rules are transnational in character, and it is therefore reasonable to recognize an independent legal system called football law. The primary justification lies in the existence of codified regulations, robust sources, including a dynamic body of judicial practice, and the use of general legal principles shared across multiple legal systems.

Keywords

FIFA
football federation
football law
football regulations
transnational
Subjects

  1. English

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    5. Fouchard, PH., & Gaillard, E., & Goldman, B. (1996). Traité de l'arbitrage commercial international. Paris: Publisher Lite.

     

     

    1. B) Articles
    2. De Oliveira, L. (2017). Lex sportiva as the contractual governing law 1, Int Sports Law J. 5 (1), 101-116. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320993950_Lex_sportiva_as_the_contractual_governing_law
    3. Parisi, F. (2001). Sources of Law and the Institutional Design of Law Making. Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice. 19 (2), 0-42.

    https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=250971

    1. Siekmann, R. (2011). What is sports law? Lex sportiva and lex ludica: a reassessment of content and terminology, at Erasmus University Rotterdam. International Sports Law Journal. 1(0), 3-14. file:///C:/Users/mosta/Downloads/Documents/islj_2011_3-4.pdf

     

    1. C) Pamphlets
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    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228166264_Legitimation_and_Global_Lawmaking

    1. Hertogh, M. (2007). What is Non-State Law? Mapping the Other Hemisphere of the Legal World. University of Groningen. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1008451
    2. Leibfried, S., & Zurn, M. (2005). Transformation of the State?, Beremen university. file:///C:/Users/mosta/Downloads/Documents/497808811.pdf

     

    1. D) Votes
    2. Bulletin TAS, CAS Bulletin 2011. https://www.tas-cas.org/en/general-information/index/
    3. Bulletin TAS, CAS Bulletin 2013. https://www.tas-cas.org/en/general-information/index/
    4. Bulletin TAS, CAS Bulletin 2015. https://www.tas-cas.org/en/general-information/index/

     

    1. E) Regulations
    2. Fifa legal handbook 2022. www.fifa.com
    3. Fifa statutes 2023. www.fifa.com
    4. Football Agents Regulations 2023. www.fifa.com
    5. Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, 2020. www.fifa.com

     

    References In Persian:

    1. A) Books
    2. Jafari Langroudi, M. J. (2007). Mabsut dar Terminoloji [Comprehensive Terminology]. Vol. 4, 3rd ed. Tehran: Ganj-e Danesh Publications (In Persian).
    3. Katouzian, N. (2009). Qanun-e Madani dar Nazm-e Hoquqi-e Konuni [Civil Law in the Current Legal System]. 21st ed. Tehran: Meizan Publications (In Persian).
    4. Katouzian, N. (2022). Moqaddame-ye Elm-e Hoquq [Introduction to Jurisprudence]. 21st ed. Tehran: Ganj-e Danesh Publications (In Persian).
    5. Malihzadeh, A. (2018). Dadgah-e Davari-e Varshesh [Court of Arbitration for Sport]. Tehran: Dadgostar Publications (In Persian).
    6. Mohammadi, M. (1397). Hoquq-e Bein al-melal-e Varshesh [International Sports Law]. Tehran: Khorsandi Publications (In Persian).
    7. Shahidi, M.(1401). Hoquq-e Madani: Osul-e Ghardadha va Taahhodāt [Civil Law: Principles of Contracts and Obligations]. Vol. 2, 10th ed. Tehran: Majd Publications (In Persian).
    8. Vakil, A. S. (2015). Hoquq-e Bein al-melal-e Varshesh va Football [International Sports and Football Law]. Tehran: Majd Publications (In Persian).
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    1. B) Articles
    2. Ansari, A., & Mobin, H. (2010). Transnational rules in international commercial arbitration and its position in Iranian law. Faculty of Law and Political Science Journal, 40(3), 37-56. https://jlq.ut.ac.ir/article_29506.html (In Persian).
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    5. Lando, O (1986). Transnational commercial law in international commercial arbitration (M. Mohebbi, Trans.). International Law Journal, 5(5), 5-42. https://www.cilamag.ir/article_18424.html (In Persian).
    6. Shiravi, A., & Vakili Moghaddam, M. H. (2013). Non-governmental law. Journal of Comparative Legal Studies, 4(1), 117-135. https://jcl.ut.ac.ir/?_action=article&au=163113&_au= (In Persian).
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    1. C) Documents
    2. Disciplinary Regulations of the Football Federation, 2018 (In Persian).
    3. Ethics Regulations of the Football Federation, 2014 (In Persian).Statutes of the International Football Federation, 2022 version (In Persian).
    4. Statutes of the Iranian Football Federation, 2020 (In Persian).
    5. FIFA Regulations on Football Agents, 2023 (In Persian).
    6. Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players of the Iranian Football Federation, 2017 (In Persian).
    7. FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, 2022 version (In Persian).
    8. Regulations of the Iranian Football Federation Governing the Activities of Intermediaries and working with them, 2018 (In Persian).
Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 55, Issue 4 - Serial Number 44
Winter 2026
Winter 2026
Pages 2837-2856

  • Receive Date 15 June 2024
  • Revise Date 23 August 2024
  • Accept Date 15 September 2024

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