Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Sports Economics and Sports Law
Code: 45764Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Management | OB | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Ricard Esparza Masana
- Email :
- ricard.esparza@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Judith Panadés Martí
- Marina Bannikova
- Luca Salvadori
Teaching staff (external to UAB)
- Víctor Rodrigo
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
To follow this course successfully, students are recommended to have a basic level of mathematical knowledge, including functions, graphical representation, and systems of equations, in order to complete the problem sets. They should also have a basic understanding of economics, both at the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels. Finally, students should have a minimum working knowledge of Excel to complete some of the activities using real data.
Objectives
This course aims to introduce students to a broad range of economic phenomena that occur in the sports sector and, in addition, to the most relevant aspects of sports law. On the one hand, Sports Economics reviews the basic concepts of economic theory from the perspective of the sports world. This enables us to analyze sports phenomena using economic rationality in order to understand the reasons behind the economic behavior and decision-making observed in the sports sector. On the other hand, the Sports Law component addresses the most relevant issues in the legal and regulatory sphere of sports management.
The primary objective is for students to begin studying a wide range of economic and legal phenomena that occur in the sports sector. Specifically, the learning objectives are:
- To introduce the basic concepts of microeconomics so that students can analyze the supply and demand of sports events, examining the demand and supply of sport as a leisure service.
- To provide an approach to production theory in the sports events market, analyzing the cost structure of sports clubs and their tendency toward indebtedness.
- To place the macroeconomic environment and the effects of organizing major sports events into context.
- To analyze rationality and incentives in sport.
- To understand and analyze the main elements related to European and international sports law.
Learning outcomes
- CA01 (Think autonomously and critically about issues related to the economic and strategic field of business in the sports sector.) Think autonomously and critically about issues related to the economic and strategic field of business in the sports sector.
- KA01 (Identify the socio-economic and legal framework within which sports organisations and companies operate, in order to implement strategic management from within, and ensure compliance with current regulations and legislation.) Identify the socio-economic and legal framework within which sports organisations and companies operate, in order to implement strategic management from within, and ensure compliance with current regulations and legislation.
- KA02 (Identify the role institutions play in governing organisations and sports companies.) Identify the role institutions play in governing organisations and sports companies.
- KA03 (Understand the types of strategies, tactics and operations used by organisations and businesses in the sports sector.) Understand the types of strategies, tactics and operations used by organisations and businesses in the sports sector.
- SA01 (Analyse supply and demand in relation to sports goods, in any type of sub-sector in this field.) Analyse supply and demand in relation to sports goods, in any type of sub-sector in this field.
- SA02 (Design a strategic plan for organisations and companies in the sport sector.) Design a strategic plan for organisations and companies in the sport sector.
- SA03 (Formulate business strategies for organisations and businesses in the sports sector that respond to changing environments and contexts.) Formulate business strategies for organisations and businesses in the sports sector that respond to changing environments and contexts.
- SA04 (Analyse the cost structures of sports clubs and their implications.) Analyse the cost structures of sports clubs and their implications.
Contents
SPORTS ECONOMICS:
Tools for data analysis
Market, the supply function, and the demand function
Microeconomics: price elasticity of demand
Microeconomics: production theory applied to sporting events
Game theory and institutions: introduction to institutions: clubs and leagues
Institutions: federations
Corruption in sport
Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation
Incentives and rationality in sport
Other concepts in sports economics
PRINCIPLES OF SPORTS LAW
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual and team study and work | 78 | 3.12 | CA01, KA01, SA01, SA04 |
| Follow-up activities | 12 | 0.48 | CA01, KA01, SA01, SA04 |
| Guided theoretial/practic content | 42 | 1.68 | CA01, KA01, SA01, SA04 |
| NA | 0 | 0 | KA02, KA03, SA02, SA03 |
The methodology used in this course involves a continuous and progressive learning process. Through a series of learning activities, students will put into practice the skills needed to acquire the course’s knowledge and competencies. The pedagogical approach is active and aims to encourage student participation and discussion in forums and class sessions.
The in-person sessions for the Sports Economics section are divided into two parts:
- Theoretical section: the knowledge and tools related to the topic of the session will be presented in order to address the subsequent analysis. At the beginning of some sessions, students will be asked to answer a short questionnaire on the contents of the previous session.
- Practical section: the knowledge presented in the theoretical part will be applied in practice through the solving of practical exercises, as well as through group work on the cases and activities proposed in the course.
The length of each part will depend both on the overall duration of the session and on the nature of the knowledge to be covered in the course.
The specific methodology used in the in-person sessions of the Law section will be explained in class and will account for approximately 15–20% of the sessions.
Online mode
In the online mode, the methodology will be adapted so that students can achieve all the learning outcomes specified in this guide while also developing the skills and competencies associated with the subject being taught.
To this end, the resources available in the Moodle classrooms will be optimized to maximize student involvement and motivation (forums, debates, simulation games, case studies, online presentations, etc.).
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case studies, exercises, quizzes, and other assessment activities | 50% (economics) | 10 | 0.4 | CA01, KA01, SA01, SA04 |
| Law - assessment activity | 100% (law) | 6 | 0.24 | KA01 |
| NA | NA | 0 | 0 | KA02, KA03, SA02, SA03 |
| Exam | 50% (economics) | 2 | 0.08 | CA01, SA01, SA04 |
Sports Economics Section
The grade for this part of the course will be calculated by applying the following weights to the assessment components described below:
a) Final exam (50%). During the last session of the Sports Economics section, there will be an exam covering all the material in this part of the course. The exam will include both multiple-choice questions and problems and/or open questions. No supporting materials may be consulted during the exam. A minimum grade of 3.5 out of 10 on this exam is required for it to be included in the final average.
b) Quizzes (25%). Each quiz consists of 4 multiple-choice questions with only one correct answer. Each correct answer is worth 2.5 points, while each incorrect answer deducts 0.5 points. The final quiz grade is calculated as the arithmetic mean of the grades obtained. The instructor will grade the quizzes after all students have submitted them.
These quizzes are non-recoverable; that is, a student who does not take a quiz because they arrive late and the test has already started, or because they do not attend class that day, will not be able to make it up and will receive a grade of zero. Therefore, quizzes can only be taken during the time slot assigned for this purpose at the beginning of the session. Students are expected to arrive punctually at the start of each session.
c) Activities and exercises (25%). Students must submit the cases and activities assigned by the instructors, completed either individually or in groups, by the deadline set by the instructor. This component is non-recoverable if the student does not submit the assignment by the established deadline.
Sports Law Section
The grade will consist of a single assessment component, determined by the teaching staff on the first day of class.
The final grade for the course will be calculated as follows:
FINAL GRADE = (Sports Economics grade) × 0.825 + (Strategic Management grade) × 0.175
To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 4 in each part. If a student obtains a final grade of 5 or higher but does not meet this requirement, they will not pass the course (final grade = 4.8) and will have to retake the part in which they scored below 4.
Bibliography
Law
Nafziger, James A. R.; Ross, Stephen F. (eds.) Handbook on International Sports Law. Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011.
Nafziger, James A. R. International Sports Law. 2nd ed. Alphen aan den Rijn: Wolters Kluwer / Kluwer Law International, 2021.
Blackshaw, Ian S. International Sports Law: An Introductory Guide. Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International, 2012.
Lewis, Adam; Taylor, Jonathan Sport: Law and Practice. 4th ed. Oxford: Bloomsbury Professional, 2021.
Beloff, Michael; Kerr, Tim; Demetriou, Marie Sports Law. 2nd ed. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2012.
Anderson, Michael Modern Sports Law: A Textbook. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2010.
Spengler, John O. Introduction to Sport Law With Case Studies in Sport Law. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2021.
Software
N/A
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 5 | English | first semester | afternoon |
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 10 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 50 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |