Intervention in Football Court Decisions - The Normative Framework
- The Israel Football Association (hereinafter: "the Association") is a non-profit association that incorporates the football associations that participate in the league games in Israel, and is also responsible for the day-to-day management of the football industry. In addition to being an "association", the association operates as an "association" or "sports association" as defined inthe Sports Law, 1988 (hereinafter: the "Sports Law").
- In practice, the Football Association is the body responsible for managing the football industry in the State of Israel, and although it is privately incorporated, there is no dispute that it has a clear public character that requires that norms from public law be applied to it. In this regard, see Hap (Tel Aviv) 1027/02 Aviv Giladi Productions in Tax Appeal v. Israel Football Association, published in Nevo, given on April 7, 2003, at paragraphs 8-10:
"The Association, as already noted, is responsible for the ongoing management of the football industry in the State of Israel. Even though it is an entity Private in terms of the manner in which it is incorporated, the "business" it manages is of a public nature. Football is one of the most popular sports and is a source of attraction for the masses of Beit Yisrael. It is an "audited body" by the State Comptroller in the sense of this term In section 9 State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 [Version Combined] and a significant part of its budget comes from public funds - whether from the allocations of government ministries or from the allocations of the Council for the Regulation of Sports Gambling. It seems that there is no dispute that in light of the status and functions of the Association, it is a body whose nature is "dual-essential", ..... The Association, whose goals are all aimed at activity that is public in nature - the development, centralization and management of the football industry in Israel, and by virtue of which it fulfills clear public functions, is a "dual-essential" body as aforesaid, by virtue of its essence, functions, purpose and the public's interest in it."