Sports is a social phenomenon which in yesteryear was often seen as a hobby or leisure activity which people partook for fun. However, it has metamorphosed astronomically into a multi-billion-dollar industry. A global spectacle which has transcended various levels of human endeavour ranging from politics, religion and health. Apart from the obvious cultural impact, the Sports industry is now, worth more than 3% of world trade and 3.7% of the combined GNP of the Member States of the European Union[1].

Sport is caught up in a spiral of inflation: inflation of interest, inflation of media coverage, inflation of financial possibilities for all concerned. This has resulted in the institutions initially formed to organise competitions between teams or individuals now combining the organisation of such sporting events with making legislature, financial profit and constant evolving to keep up with modern times. Sports Organisation at local and International levels, due to the large influx of money is now more centred around stopping cheating and unfair advantages at all levels. This includes the actual sporting event and the other financial gains that are associated with the event such via television rights, Intellectual Property Rights amongst others. This ever difficult task of reconciling two irreconcilables, the ever increasing value of Sport and it’s ever increasing value, has led to disputes between the various Sporting bodies, be it Institutions, teams or individuals which has further led to the establishment of dispute resolution mechanisms such as the ‘Lex Sportiva’ and the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Some of the disputes could range from Sports TV and new media rights, especially the streaming of sports events through the Internet and Mobile Phones; Sport and Human rights, especially the right to a fair trial and privacy, particularly in gender and doping cases; and dispute resolution, focussing particularly on the settlement of sports-related disputes.

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