Abstract des Autors

Incidents of alleged racism between participants (primarily between opposing players) in team sports at the elite level have been subject to specific engagement by the relevant sports-based disciplinary procedures. In English football, two incidents in 2011 gained significant media coverage: the first involving the Liverpool player, Luis Suarez, who was penalized with an eight-match ban, the second involving the Chelsea player, John Terry, who received a four-match ban. Terry was also prosecuted and acquitted for a racially aggravated public order criminal offence. These two incidents demonstrate the increasing quasi-criminal nature of sports disciplinary procedures that can be seen as exhibiting characteristics of formal rationality, conflict-based adjudication processes and a punitive nature. This article provides a comparison with the Australian Rules football approach to incidents of this type, where a more overtly conciliatory approach has been adopted, with elements of mediation between the participants concerning allegations of inter-player racism.