CEOs and domestic tribunals—The rights and risks of penalising athletes for off-field misconduct

Modern sports management necessitates the use of disciplinary systems to both dissuade and to penalise athletes who engage in off-field misconduct. Athlete misconduct threatens the financial viability of a club or sport, team morale and the image of the sport in the eyes of the public. Domestic Tribunals or penalisation through a Chief Executive Officer are the most commonly utilised methods for dealing with athlete misconduct. Each method concerns the law of contract to involve certain legal rights and risks. This article examines both methods with a view to informing sports officials of the legal rights and risks associated with the penalisation of athletes for offences of off-field misconduct.