Flood v. Kuhn et al.

Decided June 19, 1972. Harry Andrew Blackmun delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 71-32 · 407 U.S. 258 (1972) · Cited 277 times

Holding

The longstanding exemption of professional baseball from the antitrust laws, Federal Baseball Club v.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc. · 346 U.S. 356 (1953)
• Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National League of Professional Baseball Clubs · 259 U.S. 200 (1922)
• Radovich v. National Football League · 352 U.S. 445 (1957)
• United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Assn. · 322 U.S. 533 (1944)
• United States v. International Boxing Club of New York, Inc. · 348 U.S. 236 (1955)
• United States v. Darby · 312 U.S. 100 (1941)
• Boys Markets, Inc. v. Retail Clerks Union, Local 770 · 398 U.S. 235 (1970)
• United States v. Hutcheson · 312 U.S. 219 (1941)
• Mandeville Island Farms, Inc. v. American Crystal Sugar Co. · 334 U.S. 219 (1948)
• United States v. E. C. Knight Co. · 156 U.S. 1 (1895)
• Blonder-Tongue Laboratories, Inc. v. University of Illinois Foundation · 402 U.S. 313 (1971)
• United Mine Workers v. Pennington · 381 U.S. 657 (1965)
• Wickard v. Filburn · 317 U.S. 111 (1942)
• Helvering v. Hallock · 309 U.S. 106 (1940)
• Paul v. Virginia · 75 U.S. 168 (1869)
• United States v. Topco Associates, Inc. · 405 U.S. 596 (1972)
• Allen Bradley Co. v. Local Union No. 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers · 325 U.S. 797 (1945)
• Simpson v. Union Oil Co. of Cal. · 377 U.S. 13 (1964)
• International Textbook Co. v. Pigg · 217 U.S. 91 (1910)
• Local Union No. 189, Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen v. Jewel Tea Co. · 381 U.S. 676 (1965)
• Hammer v. Dagenhart · 247 U.S. 251 (1918)
• Local 24, International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. Oliver · 358 U.S. 283 (1959)
• United States v. Employing Plasterers Assn. of Chicago · 347 U.S. 186 (1954)
• North American Co. v. Securities & Exchange Commission · 327 U.S. 686 (1946)
• United States v. Women's Sportswear Manufacturers Ass'n · 336 U.S. 460 (1949)
• International Boxing Club of New York, Inc. v. United States · 358 U.S. 242 (1959)
• United States v. Estate of Donnelly · 397 U.S. 286 (1970)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Brown v. Pro Football, Inc. · 518 U.S. 231 (1996)
• Runyon v. McCrary · 427 U.S. 160 (1976)
• Ankenbrandt Ex Rel. L. R. v. Richards · 504 U.S. 689 (1992)
• National Collegiate Athletic Assn. v. Alston · 594 U.S. 69 (2021)
• Payne v. Tennessee · 501 U.S. 808 (1991)
• Cannon v. University of Chicago · 441 U.S. 677 (1979)
• Patterson v. McLean Credit Union · 491 U.S. 164 (1989)
• Central Bank of Denver, N. A. v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, N. A. · 511 U.S. 164 (1994)
• Commissioner v. Groetzinger · 480 U.S. 23 (1987)
• Cantor v. Detroit Edison Co. · 428 U.S. 579 (1976)
• Monessen Southwestern Railway Co. v. Morgan · 486 U.S. 330 (1988)
• Ramos v. Louisiana · 590 U.S. 83 (2020)
• United States v. Mason · 412 U.S. 391 (1973)
• Allen v. Milligan · 599 U.S. 1 (2023)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1972). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).