Sports Law in Georgia
Georgian sports law groups itself around a single act — the Law of Georgia on Sport — which defines the principles of state policy, guarantees for citizens, the system of governance, the legal regime of the athlete, the rules of financing and the general rule of liability. This page draws the general map of the whole law through the articles that form its backbone: Article 2 — the principles of policy, Article 3 — guarantees for citizens, Article 4 — state administration, Article 8 — non-state sport organizations, Article 21 — the athlete and professional activity, Article 23 — financing, and Article 28 — liability.
Principles of State Policy and Guarantees for Citizens
Article 2 names the basic principles of state policy in sport: ensuring universality and accessibility; the protection and deepening of sporting traditions, the continuity of heritage between generations; the democratic character of governance; the strengthening of the material and technical base and the development of the sports industry; and respect for universal values. Article 3 turns these principles into guarantees: the state ensures the right of citizens to exercise and activity in sport by creating appropriate socio-economic conditions; it provides due assistance and benefits to pensioners, orphans, needy families and persons with disabilities working in sport; it ensures the development of various sports in rural areas, paying particular attention to mountain regions. A citizen — athlete, coach, referee or other sports worker — has the right to work in amateur and professional sport both in Georgia and abroad; a citizen of another country or a stateless person pursues sporting activity in Georgia on the basis of a contract or agreement. The use of sporting activity or sporting achievements for unlawful purposes is impermissible.
The System of Governance: State Organs and Sport Organizations
Article 4 distributes state administration: the Parliament of Georgia determines the main directions and priorities of state policy in sport, while the organ of state administration is the Ministry of Sport, whose competence is defined by this law, other normative acts and its statute; in the autonomous republics this policy is carried out by the respective governmental institutions. Article 8 builds the second part of the system: a public or other non-state sport organization is a federation, association, club or other union that aims at the development of sport. The state fosters their activity and involves them in the governance of sport; where necessary, the Ministry may transfer individual powers to them and control their exercise. The organizations are guided in their activity by this law and other normative acts in force in the field of sport.
The Athlete and Professional Activity
Article 21 describes the athlete's regime: an athlete is a person who practises sport and competes; an athlete for whom sport is the main source of income is a professional, and "athlete" is a profession. The professional activity of athletes, coaches, referees and other specialists — training and participation in competitions — which is their main source of income is carried out in accordance with labour legislation, and persons employed in sport, as a rule, work on the basis of an individual employment contract. The execution of a contract with an athlete and the conditions of activity and participation in professional competitions are determined by Georgian legislation, the statutes of international sports organizations, regulations and other regulatory documents. Decisive from a protection standpoint: the employment contract concluded by a professional athlete must, together with the conditions of activity and participation in competitions, contain the terms of health and life insurance. A professional sports league — association, club — and other professional sports organizations are formed and function in accordance with the legislation.
Financing and Liability
Article 23 builds the financing system: the state fosters the development of sport and provides for budget financing; the funds allocated for development are reflected as a separate line in state and local budgets. Financing also uses the contributions of state, private and public organizations, institutions and individuals; profit from an organization's own sporting, commercial, advertising and intermediary activity; and funds received from sponsors. An important stabiliser: funds received from non-budgetary sources have no effect on the amount of state budget allocations for sport. Targeted funds are allocated from the state budget for the preparation of national teams and for the participation of Georgian delegations in the Olympic Games, world and European championships and other international events. The use of budget and non-budget contributions intended for sport for other purposes is impermissible — they must serve only the development of sport. Where requirements are violated, Article 28 sets the general rule: violation of the requirements of this law entails liability in accordance with Georgian legislation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently asked about sports law.
Who is a professional athlete?
An athlete for whom sport is the main source of income; "athlete" is a profession, and professional activity proceeds under labour legislation.
What must a professional athlete's employment contract contain?
Together with the conditions of activity and participation in competitions — the terms of health and life insurance; this requirement is set by law.
May a foreigner pursue sporting activity in Georgia?
Yes — a citizen of another country or a stateless person pursues sporting activity in Georgia on the basis of a contract or agreement.
Does sponsorship income reduce budget financing?
No. Funds from non-budgetary sources have no effect on the amount of state budget allocations for sport.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team works across every layer of sports law: we examine the legal status of clubs and federations, align athletes' contracts with the law's requirements — including insurance terms — and resolve financing and contribution disputes. Tell us which organization or relationship is at stake: athlete, club, federation or sponsor. Consultations are available in Georgian, English and Russian.