Combat sports lawyer
Combat sports need a tight legal framework
Judo, karate, boxing, MMA and taekwondo share one starting point: the athlete accepts contact that would be a fault anywhere else. That is why these sports work with licences, medical checks, weight classes and a strict organisation of every bout. Whoever ignores those rules loses the permit or carries the damage after a serious injury. We assist fighters, clubs, coaches, promoters and organisers of galas, from the first contract to the disciplinary procedure.
The structure differs per discipline. Judo Vlaanderen, formerly the Vlaamse Judofederatie, and the Ligue Francophone de Judo work under the Royal Belgian Judo Federation. For boxing, the Vlaamse Boksliga and the Belgian Boxing Federation are competent. In Flanders the decree on medically and ethically sound sport applies as well, and the Vechtsportautoriteit Vlaanderen follows the full contact disciplines. Internationally the IJF, the WKF, World Taekwondo, the WADA rules and, in the last instance, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) come into play.
What we do in combat sports
These are the files that reach our desk most often.
Fight and promoter contracts
We draft and negotiate contracts between fighter, manager and promoter. We look at the purse, the number of bouts, the exclusivity, the notice period, the image and broadcast rights, and the consequences when a bout does not take place.
Licences and the organisation of a gala
A fighter needs a valid licence and a gala needs an authorisation. We prepare the application, read the conditions of the federation and of the municipality, and run the appeal against a refusal or a withdrawal.
Medical rules, weight and suspension
A medical examination, a weigh-in and a compulsory rest after a knockout are not formalities. We defend fighters who challenge a medical suspension or a sanction after a failed weigh-in, and we advise clubs on their own obligations.
Injury in the gym and in the ring
After a serious injury the question is who carries the damage: the opponent, the coach, the club, the organiser, the referee or the insurer. We examine compliance with the rules, the policy and the duty of care, and we run the negotiation or the procedure.
Discipline and transgressive behaviour
An incident after the bell, a complaint about conduct in the club or a report of transgressive behaviour opens a disciplinary procedure. We defend fighters and trainers before the disciplinary bodies and protect the right of defence and the access to the file.
Doping and selection
A positive test, a missed control or an error in the whereabouts data leads to a file before NADO Vlaanderen or ONAD. We examine the analysis, the notification and the deadlines. We also challenge a refused selection for a European Championship, a World Championship or the Olympic Games.
How a combat sports lawyer runs your file
Who decides
A sporting or disciplinary file starts before the competent body of your federation. In Belgium the appeal often goes to the Belgian Court of Arbitration for Sport. A dispute about a contract or about damage goes to the ordinary court. An international file ends before the CAS in Lausanne.
The deadlines
The deadlines are short. An internal appeal sometimes runs for a few days only. An appeal to the CAS normally runs for twenty-one days, unless the applicable rules say otherwise. A provisional suspension keeps running in the meantime and holds you out of competition.
What you do first
Keep the decision with the date you received it, the medical report, the bout sheet, the licence and the contract. Ask for a medical certificate immediately after an injury. Answer no questionnaire from an investigator before you have taken legal advice.
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