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Discusses the nature and importance of cases finding participants liable for violent acts on the playing field in the U.S. Articulation of the alternative player conduct standards and the legal problems and issues associated with each; Examples of the application of the reckless disregard standard to game situations; Identification of situations in which a coach may be held legally responsible for a player's violent acts.

Discusses the responsibilities of game officials to athletes through application of the concepts of contractual duty of care and duty to control. Explanation of how U.S. courts would seek to determine in an injury was the foreseeable result of a breach in the standard of care; Description of the application of the but-for-test in determining the proximate cause of an injury.

Discusses the nature and importance of effective supervision, appropriate selection and conduct of activities and safe environmental conditions in sports and physical activities. Difference between general and specific supervision; Guidelines to reduce the risk of injuries attributable to faulty supervision; Factors related to environmental conditions that must be controlled such as the facilities and equipment involved.

Discusses the basic principles and concepts of tort liability in the U.S. Explanation of the factors that underlie the growth in personal injury litigation in sport; Elements of negligence and their application in programs of sport and physical activity; Applications of various legal defenses and how each might apply to specific situations.

Discusses issues related to employment practice policies in the U.S. Differences, advantages and disadvantages of independent contractors and employees; Description of the topic of workers' compensation and its application or lack of application to employees, independent contractors and scholarship athletes; Differentiation of the level of due process owed to a terminated employee versus a non-re-appointed employee.

Discusses the distinction between voluntary associations and governing bodies that govern sport mandated by U.S. law. Limits of legal authority granted to governing bodies imposed by statute administrative and case law; Steps necessary to mount a successful legal challenge to a disciplinary action taken by a governing body.

Discusses the elements of a contract as they apply in sport and physical activity in the U.S. Illustrations of the nature and relative enforceability of oral and written contracts; Enumeration of practical guidelines for the use of contracts in the management of sport; Judicial remedies for breach of contract.

Discusses issues related to U.S. federal statutes such as Title VII, the Equal Pay Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Comparison of the legal theories of disparate impact and disparate treatment within a sport context; Impact of the 11th amendment on individuals seeking protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act; Explanation of the balance between accommodating a disability and creating an uneven playing field.

Discusses the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution as they apply to issues in sport and physical activity. Difference between the rights found in the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments; Discussion of the balancing of privacy rights versus the need of a school district to provide safe learning conditions; Description of the difference between substantive and procedural due process.

Discusses the gender equity requirements of the Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972. Program areas that guide an evaluation of Title IX compliance within an athletics program; Difference between the notions of proportionality and quotas; Identification of four contact sports and explain the significance of such a designation under Title IX.

Explains the various rights protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and gives example of each within a sport or physical activity context. Review of bans on trash talk, political arm bands and symbolic speech in general through the use of appropriate techniques of constitutional analysis; Discussion of the balance between free speech rights and the religion-based Establishment Clause.

Discusses issues related to U.S. federal legislation on discrimination as it applies to sports and physical activity. Identification of legislation that protects employees and students from discrimination; Discussion of the impact and limitations of federal anti-discrimination legislation; Relationship between the U.S. Olympic Committee and Congress.

Discusses some constitutionally guaranteed rights that are commonly the subject of litigation from sport-related venues in the U.S. Application of constitutional analysis techniques to real-life situations; Difference between fundamental and non-fundamental rights; Definition of the term state actor and the levels of judicial scrutiny applied to constitutional issues.

Discusses the sources of the legal right to be treated fairly under the U.S. Constitution. Difference between constitutional provisions and statutory laws; Description of the purpose of the U.S. Constitution and the purpose of the inclusion of the Bill of Rights; Roles of each of the three branches of government namely legislative, judicial and executive.

Discusses the importance of the risk-management process to businesses. Benefits of the risk-management process which include the protection of the financial stability of an organization; Components of a risk-management planning initiative; Methods of reducing a risk in an activity such as the selection and application of operational and financial approaches to be used.

Presents an overview of the U.S. legal system as it applies to sport and physical activity. Differences between matters that are normally subject to criminal laws and those that are normally subject to civil law; Explanation of the steps in the process of a civil lawsuit; Description of the nature and application of the primary forms of pretrial discovery.

Presents a preface for the January 1, 2002 issue of "Sport, Physical Activity, and the Law."