The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): A Practitioner’s Guide to CAS Jurisdiction

Nilo Aguillar Effori (Author), Botond Pintér (Author)

ISBN: 9781049412511

Published: October 2026

Format: Hardback, 512 pages

Language: English

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing (Elgar Arbitration Law and Practice series)

Description

Before a CAS panel ever reaches the merits, it must answer a threshold question: does it have jurisdiction at all? This practitioner’s guide examines how the Court of Arbitration for Sport decides questions of jurisdiction and competence in international sports disputes. Through a systematic, decision-by-decision analysis of CAS case law, sports lawyer and arbitrator Nilo Aguillar Effori and sports law consultant Botond Pintér identify the principles CAS panels actually apply, and show how procedural rules, the regulations of sports associations and general principles of law interact in practice.

Key Features

• Evaluates the doctrine of Kompetenz-Kompetenz as applied in sports arbitration
• Systematic analysis of CAS jurisprudence, organised by topic
• Dedicated indexes of CAS awards and lists of arbitrators’ cases
• Explains when CAS has jurisdiction and how arbitration agreements are interpreted
• Guidance on how disputes involving FIFA, clubs, players, agents and other governing bodies are allocated between decision-making forums

Practical applications: (1) testing whether a statutory or contractual arbitration clause actually confers jurisdiction on CAS before filing a statement of appeal; (2) mapping whether a club–player or agent dispute belongs before FIFA’s decision-making bodies, a national sports tribunal or CAS; (3) preparing or answering jurisdictional objections with directly relevant CAS awards located through the book’s indexes.

Coverage

CAS awards on its own jurisdiction; jurisdictional disputes arising from arbitration clauses; the competence of FIFA decision-making bodies; and the jurisdiction of sports tribunals and other questions of competence — supported by indexes of awards and arbitrators’ cases for fast research.

About the Authors

Nilo Aguillar Effori is a lawyer and arbitrator in international sports law.

Botond Pintér is an international sports law consultant.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
1. CAS Awards on its Own Jurisdiction
2. CAS Awards on Jurisdictional Disputes Arising from Arbitration Clauses
3. CAS Awards on the Competence of FIFA Decision-Making Bodies
4. CAS Awards on Jurisdiction of Sports Tribunals and Other Questions of Competence

Why buy this book?

Jurisdiction is one of the most contested areas of CAS practice, and this is a focused, award-by-award working tool for it — bridging doctrine and practice for arbitrators sitting before CAS, sports clubs, federations and their legal advisors. It has been welcomed by sports law practitioners in Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands as an essential reference for the jurisdictional threshold before CAS, and complements article-by-article commentaries on the CAS Code.

Keywords

Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS jurisdiction, sports arbitration, Kompetenz-Kompetenz, CAS awards, FIFA, arbitration clauses, sports dispute resolution, lex sportiva, Swiss arbitration law

Target Audience

Sports lawyers, arbitrators, sports governing bodies, international arbitration practitioners

Genre

Sports Law, International Arbitration, Arbitration

Q&A

How does the Court of Arbitration for Sport decide whether it has jurisdiction? CAS panels apply the Kompetenz-Kompetenz principle, ruling on their own jurisdiction by interpreting the arbitration agreement or statutory clause alongside the applicable association regulations; this book analyses those decisions systematically by topic.

Does this book cover disputes involving FIFA? Yes. A full chapter is devoted to CAS awards on the competence of FIFA decision-making bodies, including disputes involving clubs, players and agents.

How are arbitration clauses interpreted in sports arbitration? Chapter 2 examines CAS awards on jurisdictional disputes arising from arbitration clauses, showing how panels read the parties’ consent and the regulations of sports bodies.

Is this a commentary on the CAS Code? No. It is a case-law guide focused specifically on jurisdiction and competence, with indexes of CAS awards and arbitrators’ cases — a natural companion to article-by-article commentaries on the CAS Code.

Who should read this book? Arbitrators before CAS, sports lawyers, sports clubs and governing bodies, and legal professionals needing a deeper understanding of jurisdictional questions in international sport.

Where can I buy The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): A Practitioner’s Guide to CAS Jurisdiction? Through CLNZ Books, with worldwide shipping included in the price and payment by card, PayPal or international bank transfer.

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