ISRAEL Law and Practice Contributed by: Tal Segev, Segev Tal Sports Law
1. Athlete Conduct, Integrity and Enforcement 1.1 Anti-Doping Regimes Doping is generally regarded as a criminal offence under Israeli law. All sports are currently subject to the jurisdiction of Israel’s National Anti-Doping Organisa - tion (NADO), which operates in accordance with the rules and standards of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As a result, WADA regulations are fully appli - cable at the domestic level. For example, an Israeli boxer was required to provide a urine sample follow - ing the national boxing championships. It is important to note that certain substances which may be lawfully prescribed to the general public are nevertheless prohibited for use by athletes. For instance, cannabis may be prescribed for medical purposes in Israel, and medications such as Ritalin, commonly used to treat ADHD, are also legally avail - able. However, such substances may still fall within the list of prohibited substances under anti-doping regulations. A notable case involved an Israeli basketball player who took Ritalin as a prescribed medication for aca - demic purposes, without informing his club doctor or coaching staff. After testing positive, the player was sanctioned with a six-month suspension. In a sepa - rate case, another basketball player received a six- month suspension for the use of cannabis. In another incident, a boxer failed to provide a required sample and left the venue without authorisation. This was treated as a serious violation, resulting in a sus - pension of two years. Similarly, a football player who independently pur - chased a protein shake from a private importer tested positive for testosterone, an anabolic steroid, found in the product. The player declined to have the B sample analysed and argued that the substance had been consumed in good faith. Nevertheless, he was sanc - tioned with a two-year suspension, reflecting the strict liability approach applied in anti-doping enforcement.
1.2 Misconduct and Match-Fixing Gambling, match-fixing, bribery and fraud are pro - hibited in Israel across all sporting disciplines. The regulations of internal sporting bodies reflect this prohibition, incorporating rules against such unlaw - ful conduct within their disciplinary frameworks. For example, breaches of Articles 20 (31), 20 (32), 20 (33) and 20 (33/2) of the Israeli Football Association Disci - plinary Code may result in sanctions of up to lifetime suspension. The Israeli Football Association (FA) is responsible for combating match-fixing and misconduct by clubs. In Israel, all players and clubs sign a standardised agree - ment, which includes basic terms such as salaries. However, there is also an option to attach an annex to this agreement containing additional details and conditions. At present, a significant case has emerged involving so-called “double contracts” — one contract submit - ted to the FA’s budgetary supervisory authority, and a separate annex. The FA conducted a private inves - tigation through an independent investigations firm, which revealed that a top-division football club had entered into both the official agreement and an annex with its players. Crucially, the club knowingly misled the FA by submitting only the standard agreement. This situation may have serious consequences, as there is a discrepancy between the salaries declared to the FA and the amounts actually paid to players. This raises genuine suspicion, as such discrepan - cies may indicate “under-the-table” payments and, consequently, a real risk of match-fixing. The club in question has now been formally charged and is cur - rently subject to disciplinary proceedings before the FA. If the club is found guilty, its management may face further consequences, including investigations by the tax authorities and the Corporations Author - ity. In this context, all individuals holding managerial positions could potentially be held liable, as Israeli law recognises vicarious liability in such cases. 1.3 Betting-Related Offences The only lawful gambling operator in Israel is a state- established body – the Israel Sports Betting Board (semi-governmental, although operationally independ -
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