Are there any legal issues when photographing kids sports events?

Did you do a search here? There have been some interesting (and contentious) threads this year about 'exclusive' contracts with the league, the venue, etc. Some of these issues can seem to defy common sense until you've heard all sides of it.

Here's one of the threads:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00IHnR&tag=

You're going to start a business and rely on legal advice from here? You may get some great general info (nothing you couldn't find by doing a search since this has been covered so many times already) but what about any unique issues relevant to your locale or business model.

It took me about 2 years to get in with the youth football, basketball, and baseball leagues here in Katy, TX. The only real issues I know of come with exclusive contracts the league may have with other photographers. Always approach the league first and get something in writing from them allowing you to be there. Be ready to have some of your best work to show them and be prepared to shoot EVERYTHING, including cheerleaders, coaches, cheering parents, players who don't play very much, etc. The photographers who only shoot action and nothing on the sidelines will be replaced quickly. (That's how I took the contract away from the previous photographers.) As far as the parents are concerned, it's a public event. I have only had one parent say anything to me about having their child's pic on a website, and it was only because they were in hiding from an abusive spouse. Just handle them on a case by case basis. 99% of the time, no one else usually buys pics of anyone but their own kids, but keep tabs on who your sales are to: ie grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. If there is one that looks fishy, call the parents of the player and ask. It only takes a minute and will go a long way in showing that you are being careful about your sales. Do talk to an attorney first and also your insurance agent about an umbrella policy for liability purposes.

You may quickly learn that the kids have no money; it's the parents you want to spend $$$$s on your photos.

In the U.S., little ones under the age of 18 are not legal to sign a binding contract, sales agreement, or a model release.

As noted above, you probably would do well to contact a lawyer in your town and see what advice is offered.

Don't forget that you may need a business license or permit, etc., from the city or agency having jurisdiction.

Making contact with the league or the school, or sponsoring organization will reduce any problems with coordination, getting introduced, or getting known by the various officials as well as finding out if there are existing contract arrangements. One advantage may well be that even if they haven't got a current photographer, it's possible they have included "release" type language in their participation/registration. By being "official" with them, it's likely they can extend that authority to you.

It's a very good idea to have local legal advice because the laws can vary from state to state.

Read the thread Todd posted it covers it pretty well.

I have read the thread posted above. Unfortunately, it doesn't clarify things very much, other than to say it's not nice to do something that may affect the official photographer's right to make a living. That seems a moral call rather than a legal one.

I don't live in the US, but I think I understand the way contracts work.

1. a contract between the photographer and the league cannot under any circumstances stop you doing anything on public property - you are not a party to the contract;

2. the league may (depending on its licence with the local authorites to use the playing field) be able to ask you to leave if they think you will cause them to be in breach of their contract;

3. if the league doesn't have the right to exclude members of the public, then all they can do is restrict access to the sidelines;

4. whether you can sell photos depends on the local requirements to register businesses (which I think can depend on how much turnover the business has), but this has nothing to do with whether you can photograph the game;

5. being the 'official' photographer will help to avoid suggestions that you have ulterior motives for photographing children.

If any of this is not correct, I would love to know why. I am an amateur who is considering trying to find paid photography work. While the situation in Australia may be different that the US, I can't see how any of the above would change.

thanks in advance.

Thanks to Todd for the thread. It did answer many questions I had, especially when dealing with leagues. I do understand that these discussions are purely informational. I would definitely seek lawyer's advice if I need a legal point of view. Thanks to all who contributed.