Sports Law Clinic FAQs – Commercial
The Sports Law Clinic team have been working hard to answer your frequently asked questions when it comes to sports coaching and the law.

Welcome to the Sports Law Clinic FAQs Commercial advice page. Be sure to browse our other FAQ pages for Family, Property, and Litigation. Links at the bottom of the page.
You don’t have to set up a limited company to start your coaching business but there are good reasons to do so.
- Your liability is limited so, except in certain circumstances if things don’t work, you only risk losing the business and not everything.
- There can be tax/financial benefits to operating as a limited company over a sole trader. This is one to discuss with your accountant.
Technically, no you don’t. However, without a written contract there is no record of what has or hasn’t been agreed. Having a written contract can help avoid misunderstandings and reduce the risk of parties falling out. A written contract can also help with establishing your role as a contractor rather than an employee.
As a rule, if you are an independent contractor unless the contract says something different, anything you create belongs to you, with a licence for your client to use the materials for a limited time or limited purpose. There are variations on this, and some clients will want you to create bespoke content and programmes for them and will want ownership of the IP.
If there is any overlap between the bespoke programme and what you use in your practice, it is important to ensure that this is correctly separated out and protected.
Cash is king and ensuring that you are paid for the work you have done is important for cash flow and business continuity. This is where a written contract containing your payment terms can help. You can stipulate your payment terms within your contract and state that interest is payable for every day that payment has not been made.
Without a written contract, you may have to rely on statutory provisions for any interest payable, which is often only applicable for certain business-to-business relationships. You may also be able to include a clause within a written contract giving you the right to suspend services (for example, where there is a subscription) whilst payment is outstanding.
Ultimately, you may be able to terminate the relationship and sue for any monies which are still outstanding.
Related Resources

Family
How do you protect your business leading into a marriage? Find the answer to this and more in our family FAQs.
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Property
My current lease isn’t working out for me. How do I get out? Find the answer to this and more in our property FAQs.
LEARN MORE
Litigation
How can I pursue unpaid invoices I have? Find the answer to this and more in our litigation FAQs.
LEARN MOREDisclaimer: (Important Please Read)
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this Resource is correct at the time of publishing, it has been created to provide a basic summary of current legal trends and does not constitute formal legal advice. You should not rely upon the information contained in this publication without first consulting the Sports Law Clinic, a qualified solicitor or seeking appropriate legal advice. We accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever in respect of any loss or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance on, the information contained within this publication.
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