FIFA clamps down on soccer cases going to civil courts

ZURICH, May 31 (Reuters) - World soccer's governing body FIFA stepped up its efforts to keep sporting disputes out of civil courts on Thursday with the organisation's annual Congress voting overwhelmingly to tighten the relevant statutes.

FIFA's member associations approved by 198 votes to three new proposals under which the associations will undertake to punish any "leagues, members of leagues, clubs, members of clubs, players, officials and other association officials" who take their disputes to ordinary courts of law.

Outgoing FIFA vice-president David Will acknowledged that the organisation's present statutes already prohibited such actions, but said that the amended text would "toughen up and set down the regulations more precisely."

Will added that FIFA's determination had been strengthened by a ruling in its favour by the Swiss Federal Court, which in January rejected a civil claim brought against FIFA by Spanish club Rayo Vallecano.

Four other amendments recommended by FIFA's executive committee were also comfortably approved by Congress, including an obligation for national referees committees to come under the jurisdiction of their national associations and a change in the statutes bringing FIFA fully in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.

Following Thursday's vote, FIFA can now launch its own appeals to CAS over doping-related decisions made by national associations or confederations.

The Task Force set up two years ago to examine various aspects of the sport made its final report to Congress with its recommendations on agents, betting and transfer regulations expected to be approved by the executive committee at its November meeting in Durban, South Africa.