Dispute resolution and applicable law clauses in international sports arbitration

Choice of law clauses and jurisdiction or arbitration agreements play a critical role in international commerce. They also play an increasingly important role in sporting disputes by reason of the ever-growing internationalisation and commercialisation of sport. The presence of such clauses does not, however, guarantee the elimination of interlocutory or adjectival contests concerning the law which will govern, and the forum or mode of dispute resolution that will apply, to the determination of an international sporting dispute. This article examines standard sports-related choice of law clauses and arbitration agreements, and considers the emerging jurisprudence in this field.