Italy

SPORTS REFORM / RIFORMA DELLO SPORT

Decreto Legislativo 28 febbraio 2021, n. 36

Entry into force: 1 July 2023

Consolidated version including amendments through D.Lgs. 120/2023

Italy does not have a single unified “Sports Act” like some countries. Instead, the Italian sports system is regulated by a cluster of interconnected laws and legislative decrees, all under the umbrella of the Riforma dello Sport (Sports Reform, 2019–2024).

This comprehensive reform replaced the previous Law 91/1981 through a series of legislative decrees. Together, these decrees function as Italy’s de facto Sports Code.

Legislative Framework

Parent Law

Legge 8 agosto 2019, n. 86 — Delegation to Government on sports organization, sports professions, and simplification.

This is the closest thing Italy has to a main “sports act” — it mandated the government to rewrite the entire sports system and authorized the implementation decrees below. Think of it as the authorization framework rather than the code itself.

Core Implementation Decrees (2021)

D.Lgs. 28 febbraio 2021, n. 36 — Non-profit and amateur sport bodies, labor rules for coaches/athletes, governance.

D.Lgs. 28 febbraio 2021, n. 37 — Sports agents regulation.

D.Lgs. 28 febbraio 2021, n. 38 — Safety of sports facilities and stadiums.

D.Lgs. 28 febbraio 2021, n. 39 — Sports justice system.

D.Lgs. 28 febbraio 2021, n. 40 — Anti-doping measures.

Corrective Decrees

D.Lgs. 5 ottobre 2022, n. 163 — Major consolidation and correction of the reform.

D.Lgs. 29 agosto 2023, n. 120 — Second corrective provisions (effective from September 2023).

Official Reference

The Italian government maintains a consolidated page with all sports reform legislation: Riforma dello Sport – Normativa

Structure of D.Lgs. 36/2021

The decree contains seven titles:

Title I — Common provisions and general principles
Title II — Sports entities (amateur and professional associations)
Title III — Physical persons (athletes, coaches, referees)
Title IV — Sports involving animals
Title V — Sports labor regulations
Title VI — Equal opportunities for disabled persons in military sports groups
Title VII — Final provisions

Key Provisions

Sports Worker Definition (Article 25)

A sports worker is defined as “any athlete, coach, instructor, technical director, sporting director, physical trainer and referee who, without any distinction of gender and regardless of the professional or amateur nature of activity, carries out sporting activity for compensation.”

Worker Categories

The reform distinguishes four categories:

Self-employed sports workers — independent contractors
Employed sports workers — traditional employment relationships
Professional employed sports workers — subject to previous Law 91/1981 rules
Amateur workers — coordinated collaboration up to 18 hours weekly

Professional Athletes

Work is presumed as employment. Self-employment applies only when services involve single events, no mandatory training attendance, or under 8 hours weekly/5 days monthly.

Amateur Athletes

Presumed as coordinated self-employment if services don’t exceed 18 hours per week, excluding sporting event participation.

Sporting Constraint (Article 31)

Abolished the sporting constraint in the amateur sector, which was regarded as an obstacle to athlete freedom to contract. Simultaneously recognized amateur clubs’ right to technical training awards for athletes they have developed.

Fan Representation (Article 13)

Each professional club must appoint an internal consulting body composed of season ticket holders to protect fan interests through mandatory non-binding opinions to the board of directors.

Tax Benefits

€15,000 annual exemption threshold for amateurs
50% reduction in social security contributions through 2027
€5,000 threshold for social security contributions

Registration Requirements

Amateur sports bodies must register in the dedicated Amateur Sports Activities Register (Registro delle attività sportive dilettantistiche) to access public benefits.

Full text available at Gazzetta Ufficiale