Mapping the landscape of sports law: a bibliometric analysis

Authors

  • Sharad Kumar Pandey Symbiosis Law School, Noida, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), India
  • Ravi Dubey Maahir Associates (Law Firm), Lucknow, UP, India
  • Arpit Sharma School of Law, National Forensic Sciences University, Delhi, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.727821

Keywords:

Arbitration, Doping, Bibliometric Analysis, Interdisciplinary Legal Research, Sports Law

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the research field of sports law through bibliometric techniques, highlighting thematic trends, subject focus, and the progression of legal discourse. The study highlights the evolution of sports law into an interdisciplinary domain that intersects governance, health, human rights, and arbitration. The study utilizes bibliometric analysis, drawing on data from the Scopus database spanning 1983 to 2025. VOSviewer facilitates co-occurrence, clustering, and network analysis. It delineates publication patterns, leading countries, major subject areas, and keyword interrelationships to provide a systematic assessment of the field's development. There has been a significant increase in publications since 2010, peaking in 2021 and 2024. The United States and the United Kingdom are the primary contributors, with Social Sciences accounting for the largest share of publications. Four principal thematic clusters emerge: arbitration and fundamental rights, athlete welfare, regulatory governance, and legal issues related to doping and equity. Keyword analysis identifies "sports law" as the central keyword, together with terms such as arbitration, anti-doping, and human rights. The findings aid policymakers, legal scholars, and sports organizations in understanding research trends, supporting informed policymaking, and addressing issues related to doping, discrimination, and athlete rights. This is one of the few comprehensive bibliometric analyses in sports law, connecting academic knowledge with practical legal and societal needs.

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Published

19-07-2026

How to Cite

Pandey, S. K., Dubey, R., & Sharma, A. (2026). Mapping the landscape of sports law: a bibliometric analysis. SPORT TK-EuroAmerican Journal of Sport Sciences, 15, 70. https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.727821

Issue

Vol. 15 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright © by the authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work, while ensuring that the authors receive proper credit.