The Legal Protection of Athletes against Forced Participation: Consent, Contractual Power, and Institutional Authority in Indonesian Sport

Abstract

Athletes may experience pressure to participate in competitions despite physical injury, psychological distress, inadequate recovery, or personal objections. Such pressure may originate from coaches, clubs, federations, sponsors, or contractual obligations and may create serious concerns regarding bodily autonomy and athlete welfare. This article examines the legal protection of Indonesian athletes against forced participation in sporting activities. Employing a normative juridical approach, the study analyzes consent, contractual power, duty of care, occupational safety, and sports governance principles. The research argues that contractual obligations cannot automatically justify compelling an athlete to undertake activities that create unreasonable risks to physical or psychological well-being. Athlete consent should remain meaningful and should not be undermined by threats of financial penalties, selection exclusion, contract termination, or career-related retaliation. The article proposes a regulatory framework establishing minimum standards for medical clearance, injury disclosure, refusal rights, independent medical assessment, and protection against retaliation. The framework should also distinguish legitimate performance expectations from coercive conduct. Recognizing athletes' bodily autonomy would strengthen the legal foundation of athlete welfare and limit excessive institutional control. A rights-based approach to participation would ensure that competitive objectives do not override fundamental protections for health, dignity, and personal autonomy in Indonesian sport.