INTRODUCTION
Sport contracts play a valuable role in ensuring transparency and accountability of the provisions governing the services of a professional athlete.
However,sports contracts encompass various domains and while sports contract are regarded as public in nature,it also involves personal,financial and economic interests of various stakeholders involved in the sports community.Thus,it is imperative to understand and analyze the factors that a sports contract involves and the types of sports contracts mainly entered into by different parties
There are various essential elements for entering into an agreement under sports law.They include;
*Agreement
*Competency of the parties
*Assent/Consent of parties
*Consideration
*Lawful purpose
TYPES OF SPORTS CONTRACT
There are various types of sports contracts
*professional service contracts
*Endorsement Contracts
*Appearance Contracts
*Insurance Agreement
*Agency Contracts
*Contract of sport doctors
*Contract of image rights
*Brand Rights
*Broadcasting contracts
*Presenters Contract
*Contract of player transfer
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS
These contracts are signed between athletes and sports clubs or entities,where in athletes are inducted into sports organizations.These generally have boilerplate form or a Standardized form where in frontal language is used.
In contracts,which include a boiler plate clause,the content can be reused without making any major changes in it.
ENDORSEMENT CONTRACTS-Independent Contracts in nature,endorsement contracts are contracts that do not formally require a relationship of employee-employer.Such contracts lay down the sponsors rights and obligations
APPEARANCE CONTRACTS
In appearance contracts players get paid for their appearance at events conducted by sports organizations,institutes and companies.it includes the appearance of players in tournaments,competitions,camps etc.
INSURANCE AGREEMENT This is also known as insurance Agreements,these Cover events that involve causes indemnification of players in case of injuries or accidents.These contracts are imperative in order to ensure the safety of players and athletes
AGENCY CONTRACTS
These are contracts entered into between agents and sports persons being represented by agents.Agents help in managing financial and professional aspects of athletes life.
CONTRACT OF IMAGE RIGHTS
This is a contact aimed at protecting the use of the image of the athlete for commercial purposes.These images rights are also known as publicity rights.
BRAND RIGHTS
Very common in sports sponsorship contract deals are contracts over the rights of brands.Most often,the sponsor will ensure that his brand is protected and promoted as best as possible by the sponsored party.This explains the inclusion of a morality clause in the brand protection contract.
BROADCASTING CONTRACTS
This occurs when one party permits another party to have access to broadcast it games.In sports,this means a league company or club assigns the rights to broadcast its games to a broadcasting company.The premier leagues current broadcaster in the region super sport has been broadcasting the completion since the leagues inaugural session.The types of broadcasting rights are collective rights;Here,the league enters an agreement to broadcast.
CONTRACTS OF SPORT DOCTOR
A precise definition of a team doctor or physician is difficult due to the unlimited variation of potential arrangements reached with physicians.A team physician is usually described as a physician who performs professional medical services to athletes that are either arranged for or paid for by an institution or an entity.
There’s usually a contract or agreement entered into by the team management and the team doctor or physician.This is what is referred to as “contract of a sports doctor”
CONTRACT OF PLAYERS TRANSFER
In a professional football,a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between clubs.It refers to transferring of a players registration from one association football club to another.In general,the players can only be transfers during a transfer window and according to the rules set by a governing body (fulfilling the requirements of FIFA,continental and national bodies regulating the purchasing and selling clubs).A negotiated transfer fee is agreed financial compensation paid from an interested club to the club that possess the players exclusive contested rights.It should noted also that when a player moves from one club to another,their old contract is terminated whilst the player and their new destination club will both on new contract terms (or have eat mutually agreed on personal terms.)As such,the transfer fee function as financial compensation(paid to the club which losses the existing playing rights)for the early mutually agreed termination of the contract of a professional football player.Transfer fee are contingent on the player current football abilities,future potential duration of the existing contract,amount of future salary owed(within the remaining duration of the existing contract)and the willingness of clubs to agree on an economic equilibrium through supply and demand.
CONCLUSION
From the ongoing,there are several types of contracts governed under sports law by various regulations.All these contracts helps to regulate relations between sports persons and other entities,and help make the several aspects of sports law in general function effectively.
It should be stated however that, care must be taken to ensure that contracts are carefully drafted as otherwise in case of a nullity,either an athlete or sports corporation or both could incur heavy losses.
