Contracts Between Coaches and Sports Clubs in Bulgaria

Check qualifications and registration first

Article 78 of the Physical Education and Sports Act addresses contracts between qualified coaches and sports clubs or licensed sports federations. The Ministry of Youth and Sports maintains a public register of coaching staff, and Article 97 connects training activity and coaching services to registration.

Check the person’s registration, discipline and relevant position, together with any additional federation licensing requirements. A foreign qualification or experience abroad should not simply be assumed to satisfy Bulgarian registration requirements. Identify any recognition steps before the intended start.

Identify the actual working relationship

Calling the document a “services agreement” does not by itself make the coach independent. Article 1(2) of the Labour Code requires relationships involving the provision of labour to be regulated as employment relationships. The actual organisation of work matters, including supervision, integration into the club and the obligations being undertaken.

Where employment rules apply, the contract must respect mandatory protections and the rules on working time, leave, remuneration and termination. A commercial-style clause cannot be used to remove those protections. The sports-law requirements and any applicable federation rules must be considered alongside employment law.

Include the statutory written terms

Article 78 requires a written contract and identifies minimum terms: the date of conclusion and start, duration, agreed remuneration and payment frequency where remuneration is provided, compensation for delayed or unpaid remuneration, rights and obligations, health and social insurance arrangements, termination conditions, compensation for breach and an arbitration clause.

The reference to arbitration requires particular legal care. Article 19 of the Code of Civil Procedure excludes disputes over employment rights from arbitration. The sports-law wording must not be treated as permission to refer every coach’s dispute to an arbitral tribunal. The nature of the claim, the relationship and the competent forum need an individual assessment.

Make the coaching role and payment measurable

Specify the team or age group, training duties, competition attendance, reporting, travel and cooperation with other staff. Identify who supplies facilities and equipment and who deals with medical and safeguarding arrangements. Avoid promising outcomes outside the coach’s control.

For remuneration, distinguish fixed pay, bonuses, expenses and benefits such as accommodation. State whether amounts are gross or net and how applicable deductions are handled. Define each bonus trigger, the evidence used and the payment date. “Bonus at management discretion” does not provide the same certainty as an agreed measurable entitlement.

Address practical changes during the season

Consider a changed schedule, temporary inability to work, a suspended competition, loss of a required licence and a change of team assignment. Set out the procedure for agreed amendments and ensure it is compatible with mandatory law.

For youth teams, allocate communication with parents, access to participant information, supervision and use of photographs. Contract wording should support the club’s actual arrangements for protecting children and handling personal data.

Agree a lawful exit and handover

Separate expiry, mutual agreement and unilateral termination. Check the grounds, procedure, notice, final remuneration, bonuses and return of property. If the relationship is employment, an agreed dismissal clause cannot replace the statutory requirements.

Clarify access to training plans, club systems and records after departure, while respecting personal-data and other rights. Any confidentiality, non-solicitation or post-contract restriction should be assessed individually; broad restrictions should not be assumed enforceable.

Documents for a focused review

• The draft or signed contract, amendments and job description.
• Registration and qualification details and relevant federation rules.
• The proposed schedule, reporting arrangements and pay or bonus structure.
• For a dispute: notices, proof of receipt, payment records and the full decision being challenged.

Can a foreign coach work under the same template?

A template does not resolve recognition, registration or immigration and work-authorisation requirements. These depend on the coach’s circumstances and should be checked separately.

Does an arbitration clause decide the forum automatically?

No. The lawfulness and scope of the clause, the type of claim and mandatory jurisdiction rules must be checked. In particular, employment-rights disputes are excluded from arbitration under Article 19 of the Code of Civil Procedure.