Module 4 of 5

Sports Integrity & Regulation

Protecting the integrity of sport — from doping and match-fixing to gambling regulation and the legal boundaries of dangerous sporting activities. This module examines the regulatory frameworks designed to keep sport clean, safe, and commercially viable.

🎓 3 Lectures 💬 1 Tutorial 📖 Weeks 7–9

Module Overview

This module addresses the legal and regulatory frameworks designed to protect the integrity of sport. Integrity in sport operates on multiple fronts — and the foundational insight is that integrity is a governance problem, not a moral one. A governance frame tells you how to design a regulatory system to prevent threats to competition, how to allocate the costs of prevention, and how to manage the inevitable tensions between individual rights and institutional protection. You will examine anti-doping as system-preservation technology, the structural entanglement between sport and wagering, and the legal permission that allows sport to be violent in ways that would be prohibited in almost every other context. Each topic forces the same question: who bears the cost of protecting the system — the athlete, the institution, or the public? By the end of this module, you will understand how integrity is regulated across multiple dimensions, be able to advise on the legal consequences of integrity breaches, and critically assess whether current frameworks strike the right balance between protecting sport and protecting the rights of individual participants.

Learning Objectives

1 Explain the structure and operation of the World Anti-Doping Code and the ASADA framework in Australia.
2 Analyse the strict liability standard in anti-doping and evaluate the legal and ethical arguments for and against this approach.
3 Distinguish between performance-enhancing substances and illicit recreational drugs in the sporting context and explain the different regulatory approaches.
4 Describe the legal frameworks governing match-fixing and corruption in sport, including the role of sports integrity units and law enforcement.
5 Analyse the relationship between sport and gambling, including the regulatory tensions created by the commercialisation of sports betting.
6 Evaluate the legal principles that determine when participants in high-risk sport consent to the risk of harm, and the circumstances in which criminal or civil liability may arise.

How This Module Connects

← Module 3: Athletes & Contracts

Integrity obligations are typically embedded in player contracts. Understanding the contractual framework from Module 3 helps you see how anti-doping and anti-corruption rules are imposed on athletes.

→ Module 5: Commercial Rights

Integrity directly affects the commercial value of sport. Broadcasting deals, sponsorship contracts, and brand value all depend on public confidence in the integrity of sporting competition.

💬 Tutorial Link

The Module 4 tutorial involves analysing a real anti-doping case or match-fixing scenario, evaluating the regulatory response and considering the legal rights of the individuals involved.

📝 Assessment Link

Assessment topics in this area require a strong understanding of the tension between regulatory objectives and individual rights — a theme that runs through all three lectures in this module.