DENMARK Law and Practice Contributed by: Frederik Bruhn, Tim Krarup Nielsen, Robert Jønsson and Rasmus Theis Madsen, DAHL Law Firm
1.4 Disciplinary Proceedings Disciplinary Proceedings in Danish Sports Sports governing bodies in Denmark enforce disciplinary regulations covering anti-doping, betting, and other integrity-related offences, as well as on-field misconduct. Athletes and other relevant individuals provide their contractual agreement to these regulations as a condition of participation in their respective sports. Each sports federation under DIF must establish a disciplinary committee to handle breaches of its regulations. In football, this body is known as the DBU Disciplinary Body. The DBU Disciplinary Body handles cases where there is a possible violation of the football regulations issued by either the DBU, the Danish League or FIFA. The DBU Disciplinary Body also handles protests from clubs regarding cards awarded, incorrect application of the football regulations or other matters based on the football regulations. Decisions from these committees can be appealed to DIF’s Board of Appeal, which serves as the highest judicial authority within DIF-gov - erned sports. Additionally, DIF has established specialised tri - bunals for cases concerning match-fixing, dop - ing, and exclusion from sports, which may also be appealed to the DIF’s Board of Appeal. On-Field v Off-Field Offences A distinction is made between disciplinary pro - ceedings for on-field and off-field offences in Denmark: • On-Field Offences: Sports organisations gen - erally have broad discretion to resolve these matters quickly without external intervention. Sanctions, such as suspensions or fines, are
typically imposed by a federation’s discipli - nary committee. • Off-Field Offences: More complex integrity issues, including doping and betting viola - tions, require thorough investigations and longer procedural timelines. These cases are adjudicated by the relevant disciplinary bodies and may be appealed to DIF’s Board of Appeal or, in some cases, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Interaction with Ordinary Courts Although sports governing bodies aim to resolve disputes internally, certain cases may also be subject to review by the ordinary courts. A nota - ble example occurred in 2019 when a Danish ice hockey player was suspended for 17 games by the Danish Ice Hockey Union’s Disciplinary Committee for violent conduct during a match. Due to the severity of the incident, a criminal complaint was also submitted in this matter, and the player received a 20-day (suspended) prison sentence from the ordinary courts for violence. International Sports Regulation Danish football is also subject to UEFA’s reg - ulatory framework, as outlined in Article 32 of UEFA’s statutes. UEFA’s dispute resolution sys - tem includes a specialised tribunal, the Club Financial Control Body, which enforces financial regulations for clubs participating in European competitions. Sanctions for financial breaches can include fines, warnings, or exclusion from UEFA tournaments. At the international level, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) serves as the ultimate arbitral tribunal for sports-related disputes. CAS han - dles both civil and disciplinary cases, including appeals against sanctions imposed by sports governing bodies.
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