The governance of sport plays a vital role in ensuring fair play, transparency, and sustainable development within the sports ecosystem. As the global sports sector continues to evolve, the demand for good governance becomes increasingly crucial to maintain integrity, public trust, athlete welfare, and organizational accountability. This paper outlines the key dimensions of governance in the sports sector, with a focus on ethical, administrative, legal, and developmental aspects that underpin effective management and equitable sports practices. The governance of sport is a dynamic, multidimensional domain that requires a balance of ethical principles, legal compliance, administrative efficiency, and inclusive participation. As sports continue to influence society economically, politically, and culturally, strengthening governance systems is vital to maintaining credibility, promoting athlete welfare, and ensuring sustainable growth. By adopting and integrating these dimensions into national and international sports policies, stakeholders can build a resilient and equitable sports ecosystem.

Effective governance in sports helps build trust, ensure safety, and promote the overall development of sports.

The Sports Governance Observer (here: https://www.playthegame.org/projects/sports-governance-observer-sgo/) has done some extensive work defining and mapping governance in sport. They argue that features such as transparency, democracy and more are relevant metrics of good governance as they allow organisations to maintain legitimacy and achieve goals.

There has also been extensive work in sub-sectors of sport looking at how policies/governance should be shaped in relation to specific areas

Coaching:

Article Developing Recommendations for European Sport Coaching Polic...

Safeguarding: Article The Development and Validation of a Child Safeguarding in Sp...

Youth Sport

Article Evidence-based policies for youth sport programmes