In this article, Layth Gafoor, Paul Waldron and Hashim Ghazi discuss the legality of MMA in Canada, and argue that regulation, not prohibition, should govern how the sport of MMA is approached by provincial and federal governments.

Here’s a hypothetical question: Do I, as a Tottenham Hotspur fan, want to see Andre Villas-Boas ‘resting’ Gareth Bale and other key players in a game against Tranmere Rovers in an early round of the Capital One Cup? The answer to that question is, yes.  The reason for this answer is simple: it is crucial that the club can squad rotate for more important competitions (and I happen to be a Rovers fan as well!). 

The current football season (2012-2013) will be the third season during which the ‘Supporter’s Card’ has been in force in Italy. According to the National Observatory for Sporting Events’¹, the number of cards released has exceeded the one million on June 30, 2012. The introduction of the cards has raised a multi-angled debate, from a legal, political and sporting perspective.

While the notion of amateurism and the mystique of the "student-athlete" are romanticized ideals, they are simply fiction when it comes to the structures and systems that support them.  The NCAA is "big business in the United States, amassing nearly $846 million in annual revenue 2010-11." ^[1]  The reality is that the NCAA, its member institutions, and television partners have profited immensely from current and former student-athletes.^[2]

Phil Gibbs, a sports arbitrator and criminal barrister, shares his views and experience of the use of evidence in sports tribunals.

With a projected revenue of $871.6 million in 2012-13 the NCAA is fighting numerous legal battles that threaten its status as the regulator for college sport in America. John Wolohan discusses some of the key cases the NCAA are in battle over.

Analysis of the effect of UEFA's Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFP) on the three most common methods used by football clubs to raise finance.  

With UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations (the “Regulations”) on the horizon, Samantha Yardley (Partner) and Michael Savva (Associate) of Watson, Farley & Williams LLP, discuss the potential impact of the Regulations on the ability of European football clubs to raise finance.¹

It is beyond question that sports law is at its most advanced in Europe and America. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for sports law in Asia, which lags way behind Europe and America at both the working and research levels. Thus, when we take into account the prominence of Asia on the world stage from the perspectives of economics and population, this undoubtedly illustrates the pressing need to improve and develop sports law throughout the region.

The images of the friendly match between Pro Patria v AC Milan on 3 January 2013 has been seen around the world: after repeated racist chants toward the black players of Milan by some pseudo fans of the home team, the Ghanaian midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng, exasperated and extremely offended by the situation, decided to throw the ball at the alleged abusers, pull off his shirt and promptly leave the field. Thereupon, all his teammates followed him into the changing room in solidarity causing the abandonment of the match. Aside from any obvious moral stigma, here we are going to focus on the developments from the point of view both of the ordinary justice and the sports justice.

Four National Football League (NFL) players who played for the New Orleans Saints between 2009 and 2011 were suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for their alleged participation in a pay-for-injury program, in a saga that became known as "Bountygate."  The ensuing appeals process and legal battles recently came to an end on December 11 with a ruling by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue that the punishment for the players should be vacated.

Diving is a common occurrence in football. It seems inevitable that at least once every game a player will swan-dive into the ground, clutch his leg in anguish, and then roll around frantically, all while screaming in blood-curdling agony. As he continues to flail and flounder about the field, replays show that the opposing player made absolutely no contact with the 'fouled' player, whom spectators now view as worthy of an Oscar for his 'performance'.

The year 2012 captured the best and the worst of Indian sports. Whereas Indian sportspersons returned from the London Olympics 2012 with its best ever haul of six medals, the Indian sporting fraternity was shamed due to the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association ("IOA") by the International Olympic Committee ("IOC"). This piece will examine the events culminating in the IOC suspending the IOA and its ensuing ramifications on Indian sports.

Although Twenty20 cricket has changed cricket forever the commercialisation of the game began over 30 years ago when Kerry Packer started a transformation of cricket that is still underway today. World Series Cricket (WSC) was a breakaway professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979. It was organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. WSC decided to place a greater emphasis on one-day cricket including the staging of day night matches.

The dream of reviving the Soviet football league has taken a step closer to reality after a group of top officials backed the recreation of what in its day was one of the toughest leagues in the world. Nowadays top Russian and Ukrainian clubs are owned by tycoons and can easily afford stars like Hulk or Eto'o. Though the idea of a creation of a breakaway league in itself is not new, such an initiative raised a lot of debate.