Team-Based Professional Sporting Competitions and Work, Health and Safety Law : Defining the Boundaries of Responsibility

The last few decades has witnessed the rise of professional sport as a significant and growing commercial industry. As professional sports have grown, so too have the points at which they intersect with the law. However, one area that has largely escaped the attention of practitioners and academics is the application of work health and safety (WHS) law to professional sport. This article contributes to filling this gap by examining the application of WHS law to team based professional sporting competitions. The examination reveals multiple duty-holders owing concurrent and overlapping WHS duties that are broad and complex in their application. This breadth and complexity -- which has not always been recognised -- has important implications for those involved in professional team based sporting competitions