The Role and Impact of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in Resolving Sports-Related Disputes in Tanzania: A focus on football disputes in Tanzania

This study critically examines the role and impact of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes in resolving sports-related conflicts in Tanzania, with a primary emphasis on football. The research is predicated on an analysis of Tanzanian legislation, specifically the National Sports Council Act (Cap. 49 R.E. 2023), the Arbitration Act of 2020, the Civil Procedure Code (Cap. 33 R.E. 2019), and the regulatory frameworks of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF). These frameworks recognise internal conflict resolution mechanisms; yet, they are disjointed, underdeveloped, and sometimes misaligned with international norms. The Feisal Salum contractual disagreement shows how bad local procedures may force athletes and teams to go to regular courts or foreign agencies to settle their differences, which hurts the effectiveness and credibility of domestic administration. The article looks at how Tanzania's laws are different from those of other countries, such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), FIFA's National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC) Recognition Principles (2024), and national ADR models like Sport Resolutions UK. It displays both the good and the negative. It shows that well-organised ADR may be highly helpful, such as shortening the time it takes to reach a decision, hiring individuals who know about sports law, keeping things private, building solid professional relationships, and producing conclusions that are legally enforceable. The study focuses on ongoing issues, such as unclear jurisdiction between federations and national courts, weak procedural safeguards, a lack of qualified arbitrators and mediators, financial and logistical constraints, and poor enforcement of arbitral decisions. The study supports a practical, step-by-step approach to transformation. This includes changing the NSC Act to officially recognize ADR, setting up a National Sports Dispute Resolution Chamber (N-SDRC) that follows FIFA rules for football related dispute resolution, creating structured training programs for sports law professionals, digitizing case management, and sharing anonymize awards to build trust and jurisprudence. The study says that Tanzania's sports governance framework needs to include Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) because it is both a legal requirement and a smart policy move. This will protect athletes better, make sure Tanzania's sports institutions follow international sports governance standards, bring in more money to the sports sector, and improve the credibility of Tanzania's sports institutions.