What is the official number of the Brazilian sports law named after Pelé?

The official number of Brazil’s sports law known as the Pelé Law is Law No. 9.615/98.

Enacted on 24 March 1998, the law established general rules for Brazilian sport. It covered both amateur and professional activity, the organization of sports bodies, public funding, and the legal framework for athletes and clubs.

Its best-known football reform concerned the “passe,” a system that could keep a player tied to a club even after a contract ended. The law’s reforms helped move Brazilian football toward greater contractual freedom for players, although several provisions were later amended.

The name can cause confusion because Brazil subsequently passed other major sports laws, including the 2023 General Sports Law. Law No. 9.615/98 is still the canonical historical reference for the Pelé Law, while Law No. 11.438/06 concerns sports-related tax incentives.