NEWS
Al-Suwaidi Calls for ADR Sports Office
Head of Legal Affairs at the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), Mr. Sultan Nasser Al- Suwaidi, presented a lecture entitled ‘Sports Disputes and Players’ Rights’, at the UoB College of Law. The lecture, organized by the Law Students’ Council, was attended by the Dean of the College, Prof. Sabri Hamad Khater, faculty members and students.
During his lecture, Mr. Al-Suwaidi, called for the creation of an office for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for sports, to deal with all local disputes not covered by disciplinary rules. He pointed out that the referral of disputes to the International Sports Arbitration Court (CAS) in Sweden costs the parties involved in the conflict a lot of money and may lead many athletes to accept unfair settlements.
He also reviewed topics concerning players’ contracts, regulations on the status and transfer of players, and the recent trends in the classification of players’ contracts.
“The statutes of the Bahrain Football Federation stipulate that the Bahrain Football Federation, its members, administrators, agents and players may not refer any dispute to the ordinary courts unless stated in the laws of the International Football Association Board (IFAB). By adhering to Discipline Regulations, the Disciplinary Committee is the only body competent in the rules of the game, and the Appeals Committee always takes into consideration the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee,†added Mr. Al-Suwaidi.
