Premier League membership is itself a written arbitration agreement. The league, every club and every club director must send disputes between them to final and binding arbitration, whether the dispute arises under the rules or otherwise.
Who is bound by the agreement
The agreement reaches beyond disputes between the league and a club. It also binds the league and each director of each club, and it binds clubs in disputes with one another. If the parties fall within those relationships, the arbitration commitment applies to disputes arising between them.
Relegation does not remove a club from the agreement for every purpose. A relegated club remains bound for a dispute with the league or with another club if the cause of action arose while that club was still a league member.
What joining the league commits every club to
These are the core commitments that come with league membership.
| Term of the agreement | What the parties commit to |
|---|---|
| Which disputes are caught | all disputes arising between the league, the clubs and club directors, whether under the rules or otherwise |
| Relegated clubs | still bound for disputes whose cause of action arose while the club was a member |
| How disputes are resolved | final and binding arbitration under the Act and this section of the rules |
| Seat and governing law | the seat is in England and Wales and the issues are decided in accordance with English law |
| Any other arbitration route | no other system or mode of arbitration will be invoked for such a dispute |
What kinds of disputes it covers
The rules treat covered disputes as falling into three categories. One is disciplinary disputes arising from decisions of commissions or appeal boards under the disciplinary section. Another is board disputes arising from the exercise of the board's discretion. The third is other disputes arising from the rules or from anything else.
That structure matters because the agreement is broad on coverage but narrow on review. For certain decisions that have already been made, arbitration operates within fixed grounds rather than as a fresh run through the whole dispute.
Closed grounds for reviewing a decision
These are the only grounds on which review is available.
| Dispute category | Grounds for review |
|---|---|
| Disciplinary dispute | the decision was reached outside the deciding body's jurisdiction; it was reached through fraud, malice or bad faith; procedural errors were so serious that the applicant's rights were clearly and substantially prejudiced; the decision involved a perverse interpretation of the law; or no commission or appeal board applying its mind properly to the facts could reasonably have reached it |
| Board dispute | the decision was outside the board's jurisdiction; it went beyond what any reasonable board applying its mind properly to the issues could have reached; it was the product of fraud, malice or bad faith; or it was contrary to English law; and it must also directly and foreseeably prejudice the interests of a person or persons the board had in contemplation as directly affected, who suffer loss as a result |
FAQ
Can a Premier League club take the league to court?
For a dispute covered by this agreement, the parties have committed to final and binding arbitration. They have also agreed that no other system or mode of arbitration will be used for that dispute.
Which law applies to a Premier League dispute?
The seat of each arbitration is in England and Wales. The issues in the arbitration are decided in accordance with English law.
Do all disputes connected with the Premier League go into this arbitration?
No. The agreement catches disputes arising between the league, clubs and club directors. It also reaches disputes arising under the rules and disputes arising otherwise, but only when the parties are within that set of relationships.
Does relegation end the arbitration commitment?
Not for every dispute. A relegated club stays within the agreement for a dispute with the league or another club when the cause of action arose while it was still a member.