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Questions concerning athletic skill are generally settled on the playing field. But the commercial and social aspects of modern sporting activities frequently create conflicts that can only be addressed by the political and legal framework in which modern society functions. Or to put it another way, a surprising number of sporting contests create disputes that cannot be settled by resort to the Rules of the Game, but only to the Laws of the Land.
“Sports Law” therefore deals with the resolution of legal disputes arising from sporting activities and the business of sports management. The practice of “Sports Law" encompasses the laws of contract, property, tort, intellectual property, agency, civil rights, labor, products liability, medicine, education, criminal law, international law, and, indeed, almost every area of law imaginable. As the ubiquitous human endeavor of sport involves the fullest range of human social interaction, so too will the legal conflicts arising from these activities implicate the fullest scope of the law. A “Sports Law” practitioner must be prepared to recognize, research and apply the area of law that will be relevant to the issues raised by their particular case.
This Research Guide is meant to be a study supplement for Villanova Law School students, and is not intended to constitute legal advice. Featured here are resources available through the Villanova University School of Law’s Law Library or on the Internet. This work aims to provide basic guidance for law students and researchers seeking information on the very broad topic of Sports Law practice. Certain electronic resources noted below are freely available on the Internet while others are available through the Law Library’s databases, and may require a password for access. Consult a Reference Librarian if you need assistance.
