Sports rights of players and the possibility of their pledge

Abstract

The article is devoted to analyzing the legal aspects of managing and disposing of players sports rights, including the possibilities of their use in security transactions, particularly as pledge. The research focuses on the differences in the definition and handling of sports rights in key team sports disciplines such as football and hockey, considering the provisions of Russian legislation and the regulations of international sports federations. Special attention is given to transfer agreements and their legal nature, as well as restrictions imposed by sports regulators on the disposal of economic rights, affecting their defensibility. The author identifies regulatory contradictions and proposes ways to resolve them, significantly expanding the understanding of the legal field of sports transfers, covering new aspects of their use and regulation. The article employs scientific methods, including the analysis of legal practice and theoretical research of normative acts. The author also conducts a comparative analysis of the regulations of international and national sports federations. This allows for a comprehensive assessment of the peculiarities of regulating sports rights in various sports disciplines and legal systems. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the thorough investigation of the ways of disposing of sportsman’ (players) sports rights in the context of their use in security transactions, particularly as pledge. The work identifies gaps in the existing regulation and offers well-argued ways to address them. The author demonstrates how changes in regulations can affect the legal nature of sports rights and their practical application in transactions. The potential opportunities for sports organizations and clubs to attract financing through the mechanisms of sports rights pledge are outlined, which could significantly enhance the investment attractiveness of the sports industry and facilitate a gradual move away from state funding of sports, opening new horizons for its development and independent functioning.