Legal Perspective of International Football Essay - 1

Legal Perspective of International Football - Essay Example Sports are considered as apolitical in the sense of being neutral and value-free in terms of cultural values, but it plays different roles in relation to different cultures. It is able to reproduce power relations as sports is a reflection about the dynamics of social change in society and organizations like FIFA and IOC are more influential than many countries. With the significant changes in the sphere of competitive sport, the law also has assumed increasing importance in regulating the sport. It is argued that commercialization of sport has brought incremental change and today it is increasingly commodified and developing as an integral part of the leisure industry. In this perspective, Sports Law reflects the dynamics of power relations in society and changes, as social, political and economic relations shift, and the law is not a neutral mechanism, separate from social values. Therefore, the use of law in regulating sport has to be understood in the context and recognition of i t being used in a contingent and ideological way.Sports may be distinguished by its characteristics of standardized rules, official regulatory agencies, the importance of organizational and technical aspects and the learning of strategies, skills, and tactics by participants. The nature of competition in sports is special since it depends on the concepts of equal opportunity, fair play, and solidarity, and there is an interdependence of interest between participants in the sporting competition. Competition is a fundamental prerequisite for sport and when sporting activity is motivated by money and fame, and at the same time there is commercialization and commodification, together with the spectacularization, it is likely to create competition and conflicts among organizers and participants. To quote Howard M. Stupp, Director of Legal Affairs, The International Olympic Committee â€Å"Sport has continued to grow as a global phenomenon, and the impact of the law on sport and sports e vents has increased significantly†. According to Blackshaw (2003) â€Å"Sport is big business accounting for more than three percent of world trade and one percent of the combined GNP of the 15 member states of the European Union (EU).† Numerous job opportunities are created, directly or indirectly, in Sport related activities involving sports sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, merchandising, image rights and broadcasting arrangements. The commercial importance of sports led to the creation of nodal agencies for control and monitoring of sports activities.