JAPAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Atsushi Igarashi, Yoichiro Kuriyama, Misa Takahashi and Kosuke Ojio, TMI Associates
the organisation itself or to the JSAA. Sports disputes that cannot be resolved in court may also be appealed to the JSAA. The scope of sports arbitration before the JSAA covers “a decision made by a sports organisa - tion or its organs in relation to a sporting competition or its operation”. Dispute resolution through the JSAA is conducted in accordance with the Rules of Sport Arbitration and other related regulations. Any appeal to the JSAA must be filed within six months from the date on which a party becomes aware of the decision made by the relevant sports organisation. The arbitral award issued by the JSAA is final and binding on both parties. In addition, the sports governance code for national fed - erations requires that these organisations include an automatic acceptance clause recognising the jurisdic - tion of JSAA sports arbitration. As of April 2025, the adoption rate of the automat - ic acceptance clause among sports organisations stands at 83.8%. 6.3 Sanctions, Remedies and Challenges Sports governing bodies may dismiss or suspend individuals, reduce subsidies, or impose other sanc - tions in accordance with their internal rules. Any per - son who wishes to challenge a decision made by a sports organisation may file an objection through the organisation’s established appeal system. All pro - ceedings will follow the rules and procedures set out by that organisation. For further details on the appeals system administered by the JSAA, refer to 6.2 ADR Mechanisms . 7. Employment Contracts and Rights 7.1 Sports-Related Employment Contracts The nature of the relationship between sports organi - sations and players varies depending on several factors, including whether the sport is individual or team‑based, the history and degree of professionali - sation of the sport, its popularity, the level of competi - tion, and the policies of the relevant governing body.
For example, players in individual sports such as ten - nis or golf typically enter into contracts with the sports organisation hosting each competition and receive remuneration directly from that organisation. By con - trast, players in team sports such as baseball, football, or basketball generally receive remuneration from their club (or the company that owns the club). Player Contracts In Japan, a professional player contract is generally considered a consignment contract rather than an employment contract. However, for certain sports – such as rugby – semi‑professional contracts may also be used. These contracts combine elements of both consignment and employment agreements, depend - ing on factors such as the sport’s development, its level of professionalisation, and the skill and experi - ence of the athletes involved. Some semi‑professional contracts may stipulate that players become employees of the company that owns the club and continue working for the company after retirement from professional play. Contract structures also differ across sports. In some sports, professional athletes sign individualised con - tracts, while in others, all athletes are required to use uniform player contracts. Uniform player contracts are particularly common in large, well‑established sports in Japan, including baseball, football and basketball. Salary Caps and Transfer Restrictions Certain professional sports leagues in Japan have introduced salary cap systems to promote financial stability and competitive balance. For instance, the professional basketball league plans to introduce a salary cap applicable to all players. In the new top‑tier league – B.LEAGUE PREMIER – set to launch in 2026, the annual team salary cap will be JPY800 million, with a minimum team salary of JPY500 million. Minimum player salary requirements will also be introduced. In contrast, the J.League revised its player contract framework for the 2026 season. Under the revised system, remuneration for professional players is gen - erally not subject to a salary cap, except for players in their first year as professionals. Minimum base sal -
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