What is Cas, how does it work and why can't Man City appeal to it?

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) regulates legal disputes across global sport and has been involved in some of the biggest cases of recent years: Manchester City's Premier League charges, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final and contested athlete bans at the summer and winter Olympics. They all share one link: they ended up, or tried to end up, before this Switzerland-based court.

• Cas settles governance, contractual and disciplinary disputes through independent panels of accredited arbitrators.
• More than 900 cases are filed every year across more than 50 sports.
• In July 2020 it overturned Manchester City's two-year ban from European competitions.
• Premier League rules require cases involving its clubs to be conducted in England and Wales under English law, so City cannot go to Cas.

What is Cas and what disputes does it handle?

Cas is the legal body that settles sporting disputes which require a legal resolution. It uses independent panels of accredited arbitrators, legal experts appointed by both sides of a dispute to find an outcome. Those disputes can involve governance, contractual or disciplinary matters.

More than 900 cases are filed to Cas every year, from more than 50 different sports. While its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, it can also operate on-site teams at certain events.

Recent high-profile cases handled by Cas

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final controversy

One of the most high-profile recent cases involving Cas is the controversy surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. After the Confederation of African Football overturned the result and declared Morocco winners despite Senegal winning the final, Senegal announced they would appeal the decision to Cas.

Manchester City's European ban overturned in 2020

Manchester City already know what it feels like to win at Cas. In July 2020, an independent panel of accredited arbitrators overturned the club's two-year ban from European competitions. In the current process linked to the Premier League charges, an independent Cas panel has been reviewing the case and a hearing was set for October.

Olympic disputes in summer and winter

At the summer and winter Olympics, Cas sets up an on-site team ready to handle sporting disputes as quickly as possible. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was banned by the International Olympic Committee for wearing a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's invasion, and he appealed to Cas. An emergency ad-hoc meeting dismissed his case during the Games.

But not every case is resolved that quickly, and some take years. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Russia's team skaters saw their gold medal dropped to bronze after the International Skating Union sanctioned Kamila Valieva for an anti-doping violation. Russia appealed to Cas, but in July 2024 the appeal was dismissed.

The case of American gymnast Jordan Chiles also remains open. Cas is examining the evidence to determine whether she submitted her score appeal within the legal time limits, which could see her 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal reinstated.

Why Manchester City cannot take their Premier League charges to Cas

Despite City's successful appeal to Cas in 2020, the club cannot do the same with their Premier League charges. An agreement made by Premier League sides means that all cases involving the league and its clubs are conducted in England and Wales, in accordance with English law.

Because Cas is based in Lausanne, it is not permitted to get involved in cases such as the Manchester City charges. The Premier League has its own arbitration panel which can hear cases on a narrow number of factors as the last point of contest, as stated in sections W97 and X.2.4 of the Premier League's handbook. A similar agreement covers clubs in the English Football League, meaning Championship, League One and League Two disputes must also be settled domestically.

Frequently asked questions about Cas and the Premier League