Mind over Matter: How Mental Health Protections are Transforming Contracts in Sports

This article explores how mental health considerations are increasingly influencing the drafting and interpretation of sports contracts. It analyses the growing need to protect athletes’ psychological wellbeing through contractual safeguards, institutional duties of care and more balanced employment relationships. The article highlights how mental health is becoming a key legal and governance issue in modern sport, moving beyond performance concerns into contract design, athlete protection and organisational responsibility.