Sports Law Update

Published 12 July 2018

DAC Beachcroft's Sports Law Update focuses on news and events occurring within the sports sectors which give reason for concern or interest.

Going Nowhere -WADA rejects GPS for elite athletes

The WADA Ethics Panel has rejected a proposal that the location for elite athletes could be tracked using GPS by their National Anti-Doping Organisation ("NADO") or National Governing Body ("NGB").

The idea was first put forward by a number of elite athletes who proposed that geolocalisation monitoring would be more convenient for elite athletes than the current whereabouts system.

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Insuring the World Cup: The Cup Runneth Over for Insurers

Insurance costs are not the first thing to spring to mind for football fans when they think of the World Cup. However, figures released recently by some of the world's largest insurers including Beazley, give an indication as to the hidden costs of staging such a large global set piece.

Some of the figures are eye-watering. The largest loss covered is estimated to be in the area of $2billion.

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US legalises gambling and Ireland moves towards regulating it

The US Supreme Court has struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act 1992 (Pub.L. 102-559) (known as the Bradley Act) and endorsed a 2014 New Jersey State ruling which legalised betting at New Jersey casinos and race tracks.

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Clubs, Sports Bodies and the GDPR

It can be a challenge for sporting bodies to meet their obligations under existing data protection law, not to mention the enhanced obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"). However, because of the GDPR, data protection is a significant risk management issue. Like any other risk, it needs to be assessed, continually monitored and in many cases insured against. Fines under the GDPR will increase, as will the scope of compensation payable to data subject whose rights have been breached.

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Anti-doping: The Paolo Guerrero case –Eligibility for international competition despite positive test

One of the more interesting stories relating to this summer's world cup was in relation to the Peru football team captain Paolo Guerrero.

Guerrero was tested following Peru's 0-0 draw in its World Cup qualification match against Argentina in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2017. On 3 November 2017 he was notified that he had tested positive for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine and provisionally suspended.

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