Legal Duties and Legal Liabilities of Coaches toward Athletes

• Authors: Hamidreza Mirsafian
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Background. It is undeniable that coaches play a major role in the development of athletes. Coaches and athletes have a close relationship and share various experiences that lead to a strong bond between them, and this is of great responsibility for the coach. Therefore, the coach should maintain this bond with mutual respect and trust. Various responsibilities are progressively placed on coaches by law to prevent or minimize injuries to athletes. In other words, since a coach is placed in a position of power and trust, the duty of care will always be placed on him. If certain requirements are not met, the coach may be held financially, or even criminally, liable. In this study, the author explains and discusses coaches’ legal duties, legal liabilities, and the elements required for liability of coaches toward athletes.

Keywords

EN

responsibility; negligence; disabled athletes; civil liability; criminal liability; sports activity

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research
• Year: 2016
• Volume: 69
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 5-14

Dates

published

1 - 3 - 2016

accepted

18 - 11 - 2015

received

29 - 9 - 2015

online

5 - 3 - 2016

Contributors

author

Hamidreza Mirsafian

• University of Isfahan, Faculty of PE and Sport Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

References

• Abraham, J.N. (1970). Trainer’s role in high school athletics. New York State Journal of Medicine, 70, 537-542.
• Borkowski, R.P. (2004). Coaching management. Retrieved April 8, 2012, from: http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/cm/cm1203/safelandings.htm
• Brackenridge, C. (1997). He owned me basically. Women’s experience of sexual abuse in sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 32(2), 115-130.
• Brackenridge, C., Kirby, S. (1997). Playing safe: assessing the risk of sexual abuse to elite child athletes. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 32(4), 407-418.
• Bringer, J.D., Brackenridge, C.H., Johnston, L.H. (2002). Defining appropriateness in coach-athlete sexual relationships: the voice of coaches. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 8(2), 83-98.
• Carpenter, L.J. (2008). Legal concepts in sport: a primer, 3rd edn. USA: Sagamore.
• Coaching Association of Canada. (2005). Coaching athletes with a disability. Retrieved April 14, 2013, from: www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CEgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coach.ca%2Ffiles%2FCoaching_Athletes_Disability_update092011.pdf&ei=CoCAUoSIDeyV0QXWl4GQAQ&usg=AFQjCNG6d5rl3hfwq3njKrFDK_qySfeYWQ&sig2=0W9NvksXxNm7o_7NDPXs4w
• Corbett, R. (1993). Parents can help to cut risk of sexual abuse by coaches. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from: http://www.sportlaw.ca/1993/12/parents-can-help-to-cut-risk-of-sexual-abuse-by-coaches/
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) (2002). The coaching task force: final report. London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Retrieved May 13, 2013, from: www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apexslm.com%2Fwpcontent%2FupLoads%2F2011%2F07%2Fcoaching_report.pdf&ei=nYeAUtrrGMXPtAbF4YGQBg&usg=AFQjCNE2rynfhmdzz2ypW87IdRbYg1Fv0w&sig2=pSpSpW1hkVwfI91Vs2NTeA
• Dodge, A., Robertson, B. (2004). Justifications for unethical behavior in sport: the role of the coach. Coaching Association of Canada, 4(4), 23-29.
• Doleschal, J.K. (2006). Managing risk in interscholastic athletic programs: 14 legal duties of care. Marquette Sports Law Review, 17(1), 295-339.
• Dougherty, N.J., Goldberger, A.S., Carpenter, L.J. (2007). Sport, physical activity, and the law, 3rd edn. USA: Sagemore.
• Dowey, P. (2008). Power in the coach-athlete relationship. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.procoachuk.com%2Fresources%2FPower%2Bin%2Bthe%2BCoach-Athlete%2BRelationship.pdf&ei=B4qAUoTWJYPN0QXXw4C4DQ&usg=AFQjCNFswOr8_dh4G6qKBNQSPiPp7SCPmA&sig2=LFeNvuhPvvESNeBaN9_oMw
• Emerick, M.L. (1997). The University/ student-athlete relationship: duties giving rise to a potential educational hindrance claim. UCLA Law Review, 44, 865.
• Engelhorn, R. (2005). Legal and ethical responsibilities of a coach. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://www.iahsaa.org/RichEngelhorn.html
• Epstein, R.A. (1990). Cases and materials on torts, 5rd edn. USA: Wolters Kluwer Law and Business/ Aspen Publishers.
• Fast, K.S. (2004). Sport liability law: a guide for amateur sports organizations and their insurers. Vancouver: Dolden Wallace Folick LLP.
• Fasting, K., Brackenridge, C. (2009). Coaches, sexual harassment and education. Sport, Education and Society, 14(1), 21-35.
• Figone, A.J. (1989). Seven major legal duties of a coach. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 60(7), 71-75.
• Fried, G. (1996). Unsportsmanlike contact: strategies for reducing sexual assaults in youth sports. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport, 6(3), 155-168.
• Guskiewicz, K.M., Pachman, S.E. (2010). Management of sport-related brain injuries: preventing poor outcomes and minimizing the risk for legal liabilities. Athletic Training and Sports Health Care, 2(6), 248-252.
• Healey, D. (2005). Sports and the law, 3rd edn. Australia: University of New South Wales.
• Hensch, L.P. (2006). Legal Issues for coaches. Soccer Journal, 51(7), 14-15.
• Jowett, S., Cockerill, I.M. (2002). Incompatibility in the coach-athlete relationship. In I.M. Cockerill (Ed.), Solutions in sport psychology (pp. 16-31). London: Thomson Learning.
• Keeton, P.W., William, L., Dobbs, D.B., Keeton, R.E., Owen, D.G. (1984). Prosser and Keeton on the law of torts, 5th edn. USA: West Pub Co.
• Khan, A.N. (1991). Foreign developments: liability of teachers and schools for negligence in England. Journal of Law and Education, 20(4), 537-551.
• Labuschagne, J., Skea, J.M. (1999). The liability of a coach for a sport participant’s injury. Stellenbosch Law Review, 10, 158-183.
• Lyle, J. (1999). Coaching philosophy and coaching behaviour. In N. Cross, & J. Lyle (Eds.), The coaching process: principles and practice for sport (pp. 25-46). Oxford: Butterworth-Heineman.
• Lyle, J. (2002). Sports coaching concepts: a framework for coaches’ behaviour. London: Routledge.
• Mageau, G.A., Vallerand, R.J. (2003). The coach-athlete relationship: a motivational model. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21(11), 883-904.[Crossref]
• McCaskey, A.S., Biedzynski, K.W. (1996). A guide to the legal liability of coaches for a sports participant’s injuries. Seton Hall Journal of Sport Law, 6, 7-125.
• McCormick, R.A., McCormick, A.C. (2006). The myth of the student-athletes: the college athlete as employee. Washington Law Review, 81(71), 71-157.
• McGirt, M.D. (1999). Do universities have a special duty of care to protect student-athletes from injury. Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, 6, 219-241.
• Mohamadinejad, A., Mirsafian, H. (2013). Sources of knowledge acquisition of coaches: a review of literature. Studia Universitatis Educatio Artis, 3, 37-44.
• Mohamadinejad, A., Mirsafian, H. (2014). Connection between the legal knowledge and social background of sports coaches at Iranian universities. Iranian Studies, 48(4), 551-566.
• Nack, W., Yaeger, D. (1999). Every parent’s nightmare: the child molester has found a home in the world of youth sports, where as a coach he can gain the trust of loyalty of kids and then prey on them. Sports Illustrated, 91(10), 40-46.
• Porter, M., Noble, H.B., Bachman, D.C., Hoover, R.L. (1980). Sports medicine care in Chicago area high schools. Physician and Sport Medicine, 8(2), 95-99.
• Schwarz, T.C. (1996). Coaches and liability: preventing litigation through the legal duties of coaches. Doctoral disertation, Washington State University, USA.
• Speiser, S.M. (1985). The American law of torts, 2rd edn. San Francisco: Lawyers Co-operative Pub.
• Sport Law And Strategy Group (2011). Coaches’ duty of care revisited. Retrieved February 12, 2011, from: http://www.sportlaw.ca/2010/01/coaches-duty-of-care-revisited
• Stirling, A.E., Bridges, E., Cruz, E.L., Mountjoy, M. (2011). Abuse, harassment, and bullying in sport. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 21(5), 385-391.[WoS]
• Toftegaard, J. (2005). Sexual harassment. In D. Levinson, & K. Christensen (Eds.), Berkshire encyclopedia of world sport, 3rd edn., (pp. 1350-1357). Berkshire: Berkshire Pub Group.
• Wehman, T. (2006). Not part of the game plan: school district liability for the creation of a hostile athletic environment. University of Colorado Law review, 77, 767-778.
• Weissenburger, S.D. (2008). Should athletes with physical abnormalities participate in sport? Legal and particular insights for the athletic administrator. The SMART Journal, 4(2), 36-46.
• Wenham, D. (1994). Health and safety in further education: why should it be managed. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 18(2), 94-101.
• Wenham, D. (1999). Civil liability of schools, teachers and pupils for careless behaviour. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 27(4), 365-374.
• Whang, E.H. (1995). Necessary roughness: imposing a heightened duty of care on colleges for injuries of studentathletes. Sports Lawyers Journal, 2, 25-51.
• Williams, Y. (2003). Government sponsored professional sports coaches and the need for better child protection. Entertainment Law, 2(1), 55-84.
• Wong, G.M. (2010). Essentials of sports law, 4rd edn. USA: PRAEGER.

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/pcssr-2016-0002