The Varieties of Cheating—Comments on Ethical Analyses in Sport[1]

With rule violations as the practical case, the study presents a critical discussion of various approaches to sport ethics. In the first section, tentative distinctions are proposed between unintentional and intentional rule violation, and, within the latter category, between various forms of cheating and so-called tactical or professional fouls. The second section provides a critical review of the various positions towards intentional rule violations found in the literature on sport ethics. A basic distinction is drawn between contextualist and cognitivist approaches. The conclusion argues for the need for a revised cognitivist approach to sport ethics.