• Physician

The oldest known ethical rules for physicians are found in the 282 Hammurabi law codes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi), originating from 1800 bc, stating that “if a physician makes a large incision with the operating knife and kills him, …his hands shall be cut-off.” Today, the primary aim of every physician is to help or heal their patients, or at least not to harm them in the process; what is best known as ‘primum non nocere’. The team physician faces challenges to these ethics. This paper reflects on some delicate ethical situations, on and off the pitch, related to the work of the team physician at the elite level, well illustrated in the recent soccer World Cup. The authors who are experienced team physicians having served for a total of 50 years at elite national and international levels, including at European and World Cups/Championships and Olympic Games, argue that sports ethics may be overlooked in sports medicine education.