Write for Sarvada Sports

Share your expertise
with 18,000 practitioners

Sarvada Sports publishes peer-reviewed articles, case analyses, commentaries, and practice guides written by the leading practitioners, academics, and arbitrators in the global sports law community. We welcome submissions from across all areas of the field.

Peer-reviewed articles Case commentaries Practice guides 21-day review turnaround 18,000+ readers 90+ jurisdictions Open & member-only tiers 24 areas of sports law Double-blind review ISSN 2754-0039 Peer-reviewed articles Case commentaries Practice guides 21-day review turnaround 18,000+ readers 90+ jurisdictions Open & member-only tiers 24 areas of sports law Double-blind review ISSN 2754-0039
Overview
Editorial guidelines
Article types
Review process
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Why write for us

Who writes for Sarvada Sports

"Sarvada Sports gave me the platform to publish an analysis that reached the practitioners who actually needed it — within a week of a CAS award being handed down."

— Sarah Chen KC, Blackstone Chambers

Sarvada Sports publishes work by barristers, solicitors, in-house counsel, academics, and sports administrators — anyone with genuine expertise and something original to say about sports law. We do not require contributors to hold a legal qualification; what we require is knowledge, rigour, and relevance.

Our readership is sophisticated and international. When you publish with Sarvada Sports, your work reaches senior practitioners across 90+ jurisdictions who are actively seeking analysis they can use in practice. Case commentaries published within days of a significant award routinely reach over 1,000 readers in their first week.

We maintain full editorial independence. We do not take advertising, and no commercial interest influences our editorial decisions. Our peer-review process is rigorous — and that rigour is precisely what gives Sarvada Sports publications their authority and shelf-life.

What you get
18,000+ readers
Your article reaches a pre-qualified audience of senior practitioners, academics, and in-house counsel — the people most likely to act on your analysis.
Peer-reviewed credential
Articles accepted through our full peer-review process carry an ISSN citation and count toward academic output records at many institutions.
Community profile
Published authors appear in the Sarvada Sports contributor directory, receive a profile page, and are promoted across our newsletter and community channels.
Events invitations
Published authors are prioritised as speakers and panellists at Sarvada Sports events, roundtables, and the Annual Conference.
Areas of law we cover
Anti-Doping218 art
Employment184 art
EU Law162 art
Governance144 art
Contract128 art
Arbitration / CAS121 art
Intellectual Property88 art
Criminal / Integrity76 art
Commercial74 art
Eligibility68 art
Immigration54 art
Broadcasting48 art
How we work

Editorial guidelines

Quality & originality
1Original analysis only. Sarvada Sports does not publish work that has been published or submitted elsewhere. All submissions must be original and not under consideration by any other outlet at the time of submission.
2Substantive legal argument. Descriptive summaries of existing law without analytical contribution are unlikely to be accepted. We look for work that advances or challenges understanding of the subject.
3Timely and relevant. Analyses of recent decisions should be submitted promptly — ideally within 60 days of the decision being handed down. Long-form articles on developing areas are accepted year-round.
4Accurate citations. All case references must include full neutral citations. Statutory and treaty references must include the provision number. Secondary sources must be cited consistently in OSCOLA format.
Tone & style
1Practitioner register. Write for a qualified lawyer who is not a specialist in your subject area. Avoid unexplained acronyms, jurisdiction-specific jargon without explanation, and excessive hedging.
2Active voice preferred. Sarvada Sports articles read as authoritative professional analysis, not academic prose. Clear, direct sentences over complex constructions.
3No AI-generated content. Submissions must be substantially written by the named author. AI tools may be used to assist with research or editing, but the analytical content must be the author's own. AI-generated text identified during review will result in rejection.
4Gender-neutral language. Use gender-neutral constructions throughout (they/their for singular, or restructure to avoid pronouns). Avoid he/she/his/her.
Format & length
1Word counts (by article type): Case summaries 800–1,200 words · Commentary 1,500–3,000 words · Analysis / peer-reviewed 3,000–8,000 words · Practice guide 2,000–5,000 words.
2File format: Microsoft Word (.docx) only. Do not submit PDFs. Use 12pt Times New Roman or Calibri, double-spaced. Tables and diagrams must be submitted separately as editable files.
3Headings: Use numbered section headings (I, II, III / 1, 2, 3). Avoid more than three heading levels. Do not use bold or decorative formatting in running text.
4Footnotes: OSCOLA referencing throughout. Footnotes should be substantive, not merely citations — a footnote that consists only of a citation should be integrated into the text.
5Abstract: All submissions for peer review must include a 150–200 word abstract and 5–8 keywords. Case summaries and short commentaries do not require an abstract.
What we do not accept
Advertorial or sponsored content — we do not publish content that promotes a firm, product, or service, however framed
Confidential or privileged material — do not include client details, confidential settlement terms, or privileged communications
Simultaneous submissions — work submitted to Sarvada Sports must not be under consideration by any other publication at the same time
Previously published work — including blog posts, LinkedIn articles, firm client briefings, and conference papers published with ISBN/ISSN
Undisclosed conflicts of interest — authors must declare all material connections to parties, cases, or matters discussed in their submission
Conflicts of interest

Authors must declare, at the point of submission, any financial or professional interest in the subject matter of the article — including current or recent instructions in the case discussed, employment by a party, membership of a body whose regulations are analysed, or receipt of funding from any interested organisation. Declaration does not preclude publication, but non-disclosure does.

What to write

Article types & formats

Sarvada Sports publishes across six distinct formats. Each has different word-count requirements, review processes, and audience purposes. Choose the format that best fits your contribution before submitting.

Peer-reviewed article
Flagship
3,000–8,000 words · Double-blind review · ISSN citation

The core of Sarvada Sports' editorial output. Original, substantive legal analysis that advances scholarly or practitioner understanding of an area of sports law. Reviewed by two members of the editorial board under double-blind peer review. These articles carry full ISSN citations and are indexed in legal databases.

Case commentary
1,500–3,000 words · Single expert review · Published within 10 days

Analysis of a specific recent decision — CAS award, court judgment, disciplinary ruling, or regulatory determination. Should identify the key legal issues, analyse the reasoning, and assess the practical implications. Fast-tracked through editorial review to ensure timely publication.

Case summary
800–1,200 words · Editorial review only · Published within 5 days

A structured, factual summary of a decision for the Sarvada Sports case law database — parties, forum, legal basis, key findings, and outcome. No abstract required. Case summaries are produced partly by the Sarvada Sports editorial team but we welcome practitioner contributions, particularly for decisions in non-English languages.

Practice guide
2,000–5,000 words · Specialist review · Updated annually

A structured, practical reference guide covering a specific area — e.g. "How to draft an anti-doping provision in a player contract," or "CAS urgent procedure: a practitioner's checklist." Practice guides are living documents updated when significant new developments arise.

Opinion & short commentary
600–1,200 words · Editorial judgment · 48-hour turnaround

A timely opinion piece responding to a news event, regulatory announcement, or developing legal situation. Does not require footnotes or formal citations but must be clearly reasoned and identify the author's perspective. Published under the author's own name and explicitly labelled as opinion.

Student essay
2,000–4,000 words · Academic review · Student membership required

Sarvada Sports actively commissions and encourages submissions from law students and LLM candidates. Student essays are reviewed by an academic member of the editorial board and, if accepted, published with a Student Essay label. A Sarvada Sports Student membership is required to submit.

What happens next

The review process

Our target from submission to first decision is 21 days for peer-reviewed articles, and 5–10 days for case commentaries and short-form content. Here is what happens at each stage.

Day 0 — Submission received
Initial desk review

An editor reviews your submission for completeness (abstract, word count, OSCOLA references, conflict-of-interest declaration) and basic fit with Sarvada Sports' editorial scope. Submissions that do not meet the minimum requirements are returned at this stage without further review, usually within 48 hours.

Days 2–3 — Assignment
Editorial assignment & anonymisation

Submissions proceeding to review are assigned to a handling editor with relevant subject expertise. For peer-reviewed articles, the author's name and institutional affiliation are removed from the manuscript before it is sent to reviewers (double-blind). You will receive a submission reference number.

Days 4–18 — Peer review
Review by two independent experts

Two members of the editorial board with relevant expertise review the manuscript independently. Reviewers are asked to assess originality, rigour, clarity, relevance, and accuracy of citations. They recommend Accept, Minor revisions, Major revisions, or Reject.

Days 19–21 — First decision
Decision communicated to author

The handling editor synthesises the reviewers' recommendations and communicates the editorial decision. Where revisions are requested, reviewer comments are shared (in anonymised form) with the author. Authors are asked to respond to reviewer comments in a covering letter when resubmitting.

Revision round (if required)
Revise and resubmit

Minor revisions are reviewed by the handling editor. Major revisions are returned to at least one original reviewer. There is no cap on the number of revision rounds, but the usual expectation is that a submission requiring more than two rounds of major revision will not ultimately be accepted.

Final acceptance
Copyediting & publication

On final acceptance, the manuscript is passed to our editorial team for copyediting, house-style application, and formatting. Authors receive a proof to approve before publication. Publication is typically within 5 working days of final acceptance. Authors are notified when the article goes live and provided with a shareable link.

Fast-track option

Case commentaries and time-sensitive opinion pieces are reviewed on an expedited basis, with a target of 5–10 days from submission to decision. Contact us at submissions@sarvadasports.com if your submission is time-sensitive and we will assess whether fast-track applies.

Submit your work

Submission form

Complete the form below to submit your article or pitch to Sarvada Sports. If you have a question before submitting, email us at submissions@sarvadasports.com. We respond to all submissions, whether accepted or not.

About you
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About your article
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Please provide an abstract or pitch (min. 100 words).
Conflict of interest declaration
Please complete the conflict of interest declaration.
Manuscript (optional — pitch first, upload later)
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Drag & drop your manuscript, or browse
Word document (.docx) · Max 10 MB · Author name removed from file & properties
Declarations
This submission is original work and has not been published elsewhere or submitted simultaneously to another outlet.
I have accurately declared all conflicts of interest above and have not included confidential, privileged, or client-specific material.
I agree to the Sarvada Sports Author Terms, including the licence to publish and the open-access policy.
Please confirm all three declarations before submitting.
Submission received

Thank you — we've received your submission and will send a confirmation to your email address. We aim to reach a first decision within 21 days for peer-reviewed articles, or 5–10 days for case commentaries and short-form content.

Ready to contribute?
Your analysis belongs
in front of practitioners

Whether you've just received a landmark CAS award or want to share a decade of practice knowledge — Sarvada Sports gives your work the audience and the permanence it deserves.

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