Comfortably satisfied?

The “comfortable satisfaction” standard plays a central role in the fight against sports manipulation. According to Art. 3.1 WADC, “[t]his standard of proof is in all cases greater than a mere balance of probability but less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” Critics have expressed various doubts about the adequacy of this standard. It is against this backdrop that this study turns to questions connected to the standard of proof in anti-doping proceedings and those linked to other manipulations such as match fixing. On this basis, the study proposes reformulations in order to create a new standard of proof. These proposals take into account the different legal traditions in the field of procedural law as well as the particularities of sport in general and difficulties of proving the manipulation of sporting outcomes. This study is written in German. However, the introduction to the topic, the reformulations and a summary of the conclusion are provided in English as well.