Protection of labor rights of adolescent soccer players: general and specific regulatory framework applicable in Ecuador

Abstract

This research addresses the difficulty of integrating and interpreting the legal regulations and hiring processes for adolescent soccer players in Ecuador. Diverse legal norms on adolescent labor were identified in regulatory bodies such as the Labor Code and the Code of Children and Adolescents, but not in other specific ones related to sports in general and soccer in particular. Therefore, the study proposed analyzing the mechanisms for protecting the labor rights of adolescent soccer players by rereading and integrating the general and specific regulatory framework applicable to them in Ecuador. The study used a qualitative approach, supported by a document review method that combined relevant bibliography on the topic with an examination of applicable legal norms to construct the legal reality of the identified problem. It was concluded that there is no complete regulation on the subject of the work of professional adolescent footballers, so the rules that most favor the best interest of the adolescent must be applied rationally and any legally established limitation must prevail to guarantee their effective human development, although there are practical difficulties that may limit the correct performance of their work and even work against their legitimate interests.