The Georgian Legal Layer of a Footballer's Contract
In the eyes of the Georgian Labor Code, a footballer's relationship with a club is an employment contract, and this layer does not cancel transfer specifics — it frames them. Under Article 12, an employment contract is concluded orally or in writing, for a fixed or indefinite term, and where the employment relationship exceeds 1 month, written form is mandatory. A professional contract is almost always written, so attention shifts from form to substance: for what term is the contract concluded and how well that term is justified under the law.
Restrictions on Fixed-Term Contracts
The Labor Code strictly regulates fixed-term contracts: unless the contract term is 1 year or more, a fixed-term contract may be concluded only where one of the statutory grounds exists — including performance of work of a specific volume, seasonal work, a temporary increase in workload, or replacement of a temporarily absent employee. In football, seasonality and squad-building for a defined period are natural, yet the club must substantiate these grounds in writing. The following rule is especially important: where the contract term exceeds 30 months, or where the relationship continues through two or more consecutive fixed-term contracts with a total duration exceeding 30 months, the contract is deemed concluded for an indefinite term. Fixed-term contracts are deemed consecutive where a new contract is concluded within 60 days of the expiry of the previous one. For a footballer this means: a repeatedly extended seasonal contract may already count as indefinite — with all the consequences that entails.
The Mandatory Content of the Contract
Article 14 lists the essential terms of an employment contract: information about the parties; the start date and duration of the relationship; working and rest time; the workplace; the position and description of the work; remuneration — salary and supplements — and the manner of its payment; the rules for remunerating overtime; the duration of paid and unpaid leave and the manner of granting it; the procedure for terminating the relationship; and provisions of collective agreements where they regulate conditions differently. In a footballer's contract this list is supplemented by bonuses — for goals, matches, titles — which fall under the regime of remuneration supplements and require precise drafting. Transfer-related terms — buyout clauses, percentage of a future transfer, transfer-window restrictions — must be set out in contractual form. The law also regulates the employer's duty to issue a certificate of employment upon request.
Termination and Footballers' Disputes
Article 47 defines the grounds of termination: economic or organizational changes, expiry of the term, agreement, the employee's departure by written notice, lack of qualifications, gross or repeated breach of obligations, and others. In disputes with clubs, the procedure of Article 48 is decisive. On dismissal on certain grounds the club must warn the footballer with prior written notice at least 30 calendar days in advance, with compensation of at least 1 month's remuneration; alternatively, with 3 days' notice, compensation of at least 2 months' remuneration is due. The footballer may, within 30 calendar days of receiving the termination notice, demand written substantiation of the ground; the employer must respond within 7 calendar days. If it does not respond, or if the decision is contested, the matter may be taken to court — and where substantiation is lacking, the burden of proving the factual circumstances shifts to the club. Where unlawful dismissal is established, the court orders the club to reinstate the footballer. Reinstatement at the previous workplace is among the court’s direct options, not merely compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a footballer's contract be for one season?
Yes, seasonal work is among the permissible grounds for a fixed-term contract. But consecutive fixed-term contracts following each other within 60 days with a total duration exceeding 30 months are deemed an indefinite contract.
What compensation is a dismissed footballer owed?
On dismissal on certain grounds: with 30 days' prior notice — at least 1 month's remuneration; with 3 days' notice — at least 2 months' remuneration.
How to protect against groundless dismissal?
Receive the written notice, demand substantiation of the ground within 30 days; the club must respond within 7 days. Without substantiation, the court shifts the burden of proof to the club and may order reinstatement.
What should the contract say about transfers?
Written terms: allocation of transfer sums, calculation of bonuses, buyout clauses. Oral promises in this part create evidentiary problems. Note also that where several contracts coexist, the previous one survives to the extent not amended by the next, and the last contract prevails on the same condition — important when squad roles and bonus schemes change mid-season.
How We Help on Legal.ge
On Legal.ge we assist at every stage of a footballer's contract: we assess the legality of a fixed-term deal, put bonus and transfer terms into contractual form, plan dismissal disputes through demands for substantiation and court appeals. Contact us before signing or before the dispute begins — timing is decisive in both.