Sports economics is a well-established and dynamic area of study; a key component in the fields of sport management, sport science and sport studies, as well as in other areas of economics, finance and management. Covering amateur to professional sports, individual events and organised tournaments, this Handbook provides an authoritative contribution to the understanding of sport in the economy. The editors of The SAGE Handbook of Sports Economics have brought together a global team of respected scholars to create this benchmark collection of insights into sports economics. Each chapter includes a study of a specific context in which issues arise in sports economics, a critical presentation of its main theoretical contributions, an overview of current research findings, and an outline of enquiry for future research. PART I: The Nature and Value of the Sports System and Economy; PART II: Amateur Sports Participation, Supply and Impact; PART III: Professional Team Sports; PART IV: Professional Sports Leagues; PART V: Sports Events and their Impacts; PART VI: Individual Sports; and PART VII: Future Research.

European Sports Leagues: Origins and Features

European Sports Leagues: Origins and Features

European sports leagues: origins and features
Nicolas Scelles Jean-François Brocard

Introduction

A sports league is ‘a group of teams that schedules games and develops other policies and rules for the purpose of determining a champion’ (Noll, 2003, pp. 530–531). European sports leagues appeared at the end of the second half of the 19th century. The English Football League was the first in 1888, followed by the County Championship in England and Wales (cricket) in 1890 and the French Rugby Championship in 1892. The first two were already a round-robin competition with teams annually playing one another home and away (Harris, 1975), while the latter was initially a knockout tournament. It became a round-robin ...

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