Contract law is the most well-known law that regulates sports law. This is because the relationship between athletes and teams is bound by contract law. The contract between the parties must carefully spell out the terms of performance.
Contract law in sports law can be quite complex as sports law involves not only athletes but also coaches; trainers, managers, and athletic trainers need to be bound by a sports contract too.
For a sports relationship to exist between an athlete and the various players in the sports industry, the general principles of contract law must exist to wit;
- Offer and Acceptance
- Consideration
- Consent
- Specific Performance etc.
Without these basic contract law elements, it becomes difficult to understand a sports relationship and therefore impossible to uphold the rights and obligations of the various players in the sports industry except for compliance purposes.