The Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law

Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law takes the reader through the most important controversies and critical developments in law and U.S. sports. Over the course of 30 chapters, leading scholars explore this expanding and captivating area of law. The Handbook is the first book to gather dozens of perspectives on sports law controversies in the United States, and will be of interest to those who study and practice sports law, as well as journalists, broadcasters, and legally minded sports fans. The Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law incorporates analysis of key historical events in sports law-such as the rise of free agency in professional sports and the concept of "amateurism" for college athletes-and their broader context. Contemporary legal controversies in U.S. sports and their accompanying questions are also of central importance: In a sensible legal system, how would long-term neurological injuries from contact sports be addressed? How would the use of racially insensitive team names be resolved? How would a seemingly trivial dispute over air pressure in footballs be studied from the competing perspectives of players, teams, and leagues? The Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law weighs not just the facts, but how courts and lawmakers ought to consider the most important questions at stake. The essays in this volume also canvass the types of legal controversies in sports likely to surface in the future. This is particularly true of law and technology matters, including those related to broadcasting and streaming. Legal doctrine has been and will continue to be forced to adapt to these developments, and the Handbook both forecasts coming debates and outlines where the law may be headed.