Sports Organisations
Sports Council
The Irish Sports Council was established under legislation in 1999 to encourage participation in sports. This covers recreational and quasi-professional, competitive and quasi-professional participation.
The legislation incorporated the Irish Sports Council. It deals with drug abuse. It may take action as it considers appropriate to combat doping in sport. An anti-Doping Committee is to be established to assist and advise the Council in relation to its functions.
Organsations
Sports organisations are regulated for the most part by rules of governing bodies. Many international sports bodies have supranational bodies to which national bodies are affiliated.
This includes for example Association Football with regional bodies including UEFA and FIFA. The domestic bodies are governed by the rules of the international organisations. They may coordinate rule changes.
The Football Association is one of the earliest governing body established in the 1860s. Associations were established for swimming in late 1860s; Rugby Football 1871; cycling, athletics, 1880; boxing 1881; tennis 1886.
The Gaelic Athletic Association is amateur sporting and cultural organisation focused on promoting Gaelic games including in particular, Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and handball and rounder. It also promote certain cultural activities.
Olympics
The International Olympic Committee was formed in 1894 and staged first modern Olympics in 1896. Most Olympic sports remained amateur until 1984.
The Olympics Movements govern 33 sports.  The Olympic Movement is  constituted under a charter. It comprises the international federations which adhere to it, the International Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committee.
The rules of the International Olympic Committee indirectly affect the rules of the associated sporting bodies, which adhere to their rules and regulations.
Each member country has a National Olympic Committee. It manages the Olympic brand and develops the Olympic Movement.
The International Olympic Committee is based in Switzerland and governed by Swiss law. It has an important place in determining international rules, and norms for sports. It is closely associated with a number of UN agencies, including UNESCO, United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The International Olympic Committee is a non-governmental organisation but is not formally incorporated.
National federation in sports may participate if they comply with the requirements of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Charter. Their rules must be approved by the Committee. The international federations comprise the relevant national federations.
Sports Adjudication
The Court of Arbitration for Sport was created by the International Olympic Committee in the 1980. It provides a dispute resolution role.
International sports bodies may be subject to judicial review. It must comply with their rules and with substantive fairness in their adjudications.
Governing bodies draw up and enforce the rules of their sports. They may also organise national competitions, leagues etc. They may regulate their sport.
Sports Rules and Legal Challenges
Sports bodies will be usually subject to rules of natural justice. Different branches of the same body will commonly act as investigator and adjudicator in relation to controversial issues. They may intervene to ensure basic natural justice.
See generally the section on clubs. The same principles as apply to clubs apply generally to sporting organisation. Their rules are binding as a matter of contract.
Where organisations have a public character, their decisions which in any way affect a person’s livelihood or reputation, are likely to require compliance with the principles of constitutional justice. See generally the sections on administrative law and judicial review as to the criteria.