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Role of the Commissioner

Learn about the multiple roles that a league commissioner must perform in professional sports.

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Every major professional sports league in the United States has a commissioner who is tasked with performing a variety of roles that help professional sports leagues function effectively.

I. Administering Rules

In a collectively-owned league, such as Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League, the league establishes rules in its constitution and bylaws. A league’s commissioner is responsible for interpreting, administering, and in some cases, creating the league’s rules. When a...

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Lessons

    • 1. Welcome
    • Welcome to Sports Law
    2. Amateur Sports
    • The Employment Question and Unionization
    • Collegiate Collective Bargaining
    • The Scholarship Contract
    • Name, Image, and Likeness
    • Evolving Name, Image, and Likeness Laws
    • The Amateurism Model
    • Institutional Duty of Care
    • Ramifications of Amateur Athletes as Employees
    3. Amateur Sports Associations
    • Public and Private Sports Associations
    • Collegiate Athletic Associations
    • Olympic Athletic Associations
    • United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
    4. Eligibility, Health, and Gender Issues
    • Eligibility Issues in Amateur Sports
    • Concussion Protocols
    • Anti-Doping Agencies
    • Drug Testing in High School and Collegiate Sports
    • Disability Issues in Sports
    • Sex Discrimination and Title IX
    5. Sports and Antitrust Laws
    • Sherman Antitrust Act
    • Amateur Association Antitrust Caselaw
    • Antitrust Issues in Professional Sports
    • Baseball’s Exemption from Antitrust Laws
    • Rival Leagues
    • Franchise Relocation and Expansion
    6. Unique Issues in Professional Sports
    • Collectively Owned Leagues
    • Ramifications of Collective Ownership
    • Role of the Commissioner
    • Professional Sports Facilities
    • Broadcast Rights and Media Issues
    • Collective Bargaining
    • Agents and Athletes
    7. Other Legal Issues in Sports
    • Criminal and Civil Liability in Sports
    • Intellectual Property in Professional and Amateur Sports
    • Venue Liability
    • Products Liability