Match-Fixing: Working Towards an Ethical Framework

Abstract

How does match-fixing, or other unfair manipulation of matches, that involves under-performance by players, or refereeing and umpiring that prevents fair competition, be thought of in ethical terms? In this article, I outline the different forms that match-fixing can take and seek to comprehend these disparate scenarios within Kantian, Hegelian and contractualist ethical frameworks. I tentatively suggest that, by developing an ethical opposition to match-fixing in sport, we can give much greater substance to popular phrases such as ‘respect for the game’, encompassing the value of sport itself and respect for other players, fans, sponsors and organisers. Arguing that match-fixing denies recognition to these ‘others’ demonstrates how fundamentally match-fixing ‘hollows out’ sport because a fixed match is of no worth: the whole value of the game has literally been evacuated.

Keywords:

• match-fixing
• respect
• contractualism
• recognition
• cheating
• imperative duties

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Haim Levi for helping to bring this article to fruition. Thanks also to the staff and members of FIFPro, the world professional footballers union, whose project on match-fixing was the initial inspiration for this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. For examples of this ‘tradition’ see Maennig (2005), IRIS (2012) and Hill (2013).

2. See IRIS (2012), 4.

3. Europol, ‘Update – Results from the largest football match-fixing investigation in Europe’ https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/results-largest-football-match-fixing-investigation-europe, 6 February 2013.

4. Mid-Day, ‘Almost all international cricket matches are fixed, alleges whistleblower’ http://www.mid-day.com/articles/almost-all-international-cricket-matches-are-fixed-alleges-whistleblower/15130051, 28 February 2014.

5. ‘Fifa ask Der Spiegel to prove Cameroon match-fixing claims’ http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/02/fifa-der-spiegel-cameroon-match-fixing, July 2, 2014.

6. Badminton World Federation, 1 August 2012.

7. McGinniss (2000).

8. Hill (2009).

9. Searle (1969).

10. Loland (2002), Morgan (1994), Simon (2003).

11. ‘Boris Onishenko’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Onishchenko

12. Simon (2007).

13. Pearson (2003).

14. Simon, Torres, and Hager, (2014).

15. ‘David Beckham comes to Thierry Henry’s defence over handball’ http://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/nov/20/thierry-henry-david-beckham-handball, 20 November 2009.

16. Suits (1967).

17. Fraleigh (1984).

18. Jaideep Vaidya, ‘Ashes 2009: England script the Great Escape at Cardiff thanks to Collingwood, Anderson and Panesar’ http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/Ashes-2009-England-script-the-Great-Escape-at-Cardiff-thanks-to-Collingwood-Anderson-and-Panesar/28884, 12 July 2013.

19. In any case, it is doubtful to what degree sport in fact helps to produce these effects.

20. Cited in “‘Contractualism’, Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/contractualism/.

21. For a detailed discussion on ‘playing again’ see Kretchmar (2012).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andy Harvey

Birkbeck, Birkbeck Sports Business Centre, Clore Management Centre Torrington Square, London, WC1E 7JL, UK.