Drafting and Understanding Contracts in Sports

This thesis will outline contracts, the language in contracts, and how contracts in sports law are drafted. Contracts are legally binding agreements between parties, where each benefits in some manner. These contracts are supposed to be interpreted in accordance with the law and set out the obligations between the parties involved. Business contracts have certain clauses that are discussed in this thesis, while sports law contracts have similarities and differences with these business contracts. Business contracts are drafted to outline the duties, responsibilities, and nature of the business relationship. Sports contracts tend to outline the relationship between team and player, where the team has an obligation to compensate the player and the player has a skill or performance to provide. In sports law, the idea of torts will be discussed, which is generally the main cause of action for disputes in sports. The contract is drafted in mind of this in order to limit the liability for the player and team in case of dispute. Then, the standard player contract (‘SPK’) will be introduced, and the author will go over certain unique clauses and language in these contracts. After all the research and information in chapters one through five, chapter six will include a standard player contract drafted by the author. This deliverable will cover the topics and research conducted in the thesis and put it in a sports context. Finally, the author will give an analysis of the drafted SPK and personal recommendations for future drafted SPKs. The author acknowledges the length of this thesis but appreciates the time and effort to read and understand it.