Sports law in Turkey, particularly in the field of football, has a wide application area. In this context, the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), which operates under the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), plays an important role in resolving legal disputes within the football sector.

The DRC was established in 2007 and generally examines and resolves disputes arising from professional football player contracts. The legal framework of the DRC is based on an independent and impartial structure outlined in the TFF’s founding law and statutes. The parties involved in the DRC’s resolution process are diverse, given the dynamic nature of sports. The main parties to whom the DRC provides solutions include clubs, football players, coaches, and football agents.

The DRC’s characteristics can be outlined in four main points:

1. Independence: It operates on an independent and impartial structure, having the authority to make fair and objective decisions. This independence is crucial in establishing trust within the sports community.
2. Speed of resolution: The DRC aims to resolve disputes within the sports community quickly and effectively. This is important to ensure the uninterrupted operation of sports clubs.
3. Expertise: The DRC consists of individuals specialized in sports law, allowing them to provide solutions to legal issues with in-depth knowledge and experience.
4. Binding Decisions: The decisions made by the DRC are binding on the parties, and they are expected to comply with these decisions. This binding nature plays an important role in ensuring the rule of law. The decisions made by the Dispute Resolution Committee are finalized through an appeal to the Arbitration Board or, if an appeal is made, through the final decision of the Arbitration Board.

The general authority of the DRC and recent changes are as follows:

The scope of the DRC’s authority has changed through various regulations since its establishment. In the initial period, the DRC was authorized to resolve disputes arising from professional football player contracts. However, a 2011 amendment made it mandatory for disputes to be submitted to the DRC. This regulation made it mandatory for disputes arising from professional football player contracts to be resolved exclusively by the DRC. On January 18, 2018, the Constitutional Court of Turkey annulled the DRC’s exclusive authority over disputes arising from professional football player contracts.

Following the Constitutional Court’s ruling, the TFF General Assembly made significant amendments in 2019. According to these amendments, clubs, football players, coaches, and agents were given the freedom to choose whether to refer their disputes to the DRC. However, under the amended Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the DRC Regulations, effective from March 2, 2019, the DRC retained exclusive authority in certain matters such as sports penalties and training compensation. This change allowed the parties in the football community to have more control over their relationships and redefined the scope of the DRC’s authority. With the 2019 amendments, it also became possible for parties to take some disputes to alternative resolution mechanisms.

When disputes arise between a football player and a club regarding their contract, it is now possible for the parties to choose who will have the authority to resolve the dispute and which judicial body will be competent to address the issue. In this context, the parties can decide whether the DRC or the general courts will be responsible for resolving future disputes.

The TFF and the DRC have become important institutions in Turkey, providing the legal infrastructure for football and playing an active role in resolving disputes. Especially, the DRC, with its independent and specialized structure, has taken on an important function in resolving legal issues in the football sector. However, with the Constitutional Court’s decision and the subsequent regulations, some flexibility has been introduced in the DRC’s scope of authority. These changes have allowed the parties more freedom in their relationships.

The existence of the DRC ensures that sports law practices in Turkey are conducted quickly and effectively, supporting the professional development of football within a structured framework. This structure has been designed to protect the rights and obligations of all parties in the football sector and has become a very important part of sports law. We believe that similar legal regulations in sports branches other than football in Turkey will be a significant step toward ensuring quicker legal security and justice across the sports community.

Attorney Şefik Ziroğlu & Trainee Attorney Fayat Bay