A Socio-Legal Critique of Sports Regulation: Nothing to Do with Fair Play

This book is a critical examination of the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern modern sport, questioning whether the ideals of fairness and a ’level playing field’ extend beyond the pitch into the boardrooms where decisions are made.
Focusing on the self-regulation model prevalent in the UK and its global influence, Jonathan G. Merritt explores the intersection of sport and law through detailed analysis of statutes, case law, and legal principles. The book interrogates whether contemporary sports governance serves the interests of its primary stakeholders-players, athletes, and spectators-or those of a powerful ruling elite. By drawing on themes from politics, sociology, and religion, it exposes the deeper power dynamics at play and challenges the assumption that law in sport consistently upholds justice and equality. This is an essential resource for scholars of sports law, governance, and socio-legal studies.

Jonathan G. Merritt is a senior lecturer in law in the School of Law at De Montfort University.