Criminological problems of Russian sports

Abstract

The modern Russian Criminal Code provides for criminal liability for unlawfully influencing the result of a sports competition (fixed match), as well as for inducing an athlete to use or for using substances and (or) methods and means prohibited in sports against an athlete. In December 2021, the State Duma passed the first reading of the draft law on combating fixed matches. Russia is a party to international acts aimed at combating manipulation of the results of sports competitions and doping. Serious work is underway in the country to restore the sports image after the doping scandals of 2014. At the same time, official judicial statistics do not allow us to fully assess the real size of crime committed in the field of sports. There are practically no criminal cases. A significant factor that makes it difficult to understand the true state of affairs in the field of sports is its closeness and autonomy. Although articles about fixed matches and doping are systematically published in the media. It was these problems that determined the need for a comprehensive criminological study on crime in the field of sports. In the course of the research, content analysis, documentary method and general scientific methods were used, such as comparison, analysis and synthesis, statistical and specifically sociological methods, as well as deductive method. The results of the study showed that the criminal policy and the current criminal legislation in the field of sports cause well-founded criticism of scientists, lawyers, and athletes, primarily for its inefficiency.