CAS 2016/A/4785 Real Madrid Club de Fútbol v. FIFA, award of 3 May 2017

This commentary examines the decision of the CAS on appeal of the decisions by the FIFA disciplinary bodies regarding the infringements of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) by Real Madrid in dealing with minors. The legal reasoning of the Sole Arbitrator in the case provides clarity about some of the key regulatory concepts of the RSTP including, but not limited to, the distinction between the registration and the reporting of minors in an academy, the meaning of organised football, the nature of tournaments and extended trials, and the function of temporary licenses in the registration process of players. Overall, the case is particularly important due to the analysis of concurrent and multiple violations of the RSTP by Real Madrid. It therefore offers a more holistic understanding of the regulatory regime for the protection of minors by FIFA by providing a valuable insight into the operation and interrelatedness of specific provisions (Articles 19, 19bis, 9, and 5) of the regulatory framework at the national level.