This is a list of international sports federations, each of which serves as a non-governmentalgoverning body for a given sport and administers its sport at a world level, most often crafting rules, promoting the sport to prospective spectators and fans, developing prospective players, and organizing world or continental championships. Some international sports federations, such as World Aquatics and the International Skating Union, may oversee multiple activities referred to in common parlance as separate sports: World Aquatics, for example, governs swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, and water polo as separate "disciplines" within the single "sport" of Aquatics.
International sports federations form an integral part of the Olympic and Paralympic movements. Each Olympic sport is represented by its respective international sports federation, which in turn helps administer the events in its respective sport during the Games. For a sport to become an Olympic sport, its international sports federation must be recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Likewise, an international sports federation must be recognized by the International Paralympic Committee for its sport to become a Paralympic sport, though in the latter case, several Paralympic Sports are governed by a dedicated committee of the International Paralympic Committee itself, under the World Para branding; for example, track and field athletics for disabled athletes is governed by the IPC itself, under the name "World Para Athletics". Other Paralympic sports are governed within the structure of the able-bodied equivalent; for example, the UCI governs both able-bodied and Paralympic cycling.
Federations recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF)
International federations may apply to become a full member if they govern a core Summer Olympic sport or govern a sport which featured in the three most recent Summer Olympics. They may apply to become an associate member if they govern a sport included on the programme for future editions of the Summer Olympic Games or govern a sport which has featured in any five editions of the Summer Olympic Games since 1988.
As of June 2025, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) has 30 full member and six associate member international federations.
International sports federations that govern a sport in the programme of the Winter Olympic Games are members of the WOF. As of March 2025, it has seven full members and one associate member.
Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport (AIMS)
AIMS is a stakeholder of SportAccord that represents sports federations that were not yet recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As of September 2025, AIMS has 20 full member federations.
Before the dissolution of GAISF in 2023, the GAISF Observer Status could be requested by the applicants for GAISF membership interested to obtain support and guidance in their path to fulfil the GAISF membership criteria. At the time of dissolution, it had 11 observers:
Before the dissolution of GAISF in 2023, other than full members (composing ASOIF, AIOWF, ARISF and AIMS), there have been Associate members of GAISF. After the dissolution of GAISF, the proposal has been for its former associate members to be granted observer status at the SportAccord General Assembly. The following were associate members:[citation needed]
Federations recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
There are 18 international federations recognized by the IPC, while the IPC itself serves as the international federation for five sports. IPC recognises also 3 International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled. And there are another 15 federations which are recognised by the IPC but are not eligible to be IPC members.
Sports directly governed by IPC
On 30 November 2016, the IPC adopted the "World Para" brand for all 10 of the sports that it directly governed at that time. At the 2021 IPC General Assembly, IPC members provided a strong mandate for the IPC to cease acting as the international federation for 10 sports by the end of 2026. Para-alpine skiing, para cross country skiing and para snowboard were transferred to FIS, and Para biathlon was transferred to IBU to be overseen by a joint steering committee involving IBU and FIS. Para dance sport was transferred to World Abilitysport as of 1 January 2024. Currently IPC acts as the international federation for five sports:
International Federations are independent sport federations recognised by the IPC as the sole representative of a Paralympic sport. As of August 2025, the IPC recognises 18 International Federations representing 20 parasports:
International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled
International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled (IOSDs) are independent organisations recognised by the IPC as the sole representatives of a specific impairment group. The IPC currently recognises 3 IOSDs:
IPC-recognised international sports federations (not eligible for membership)
The IPC recognises a number of international sports federations which are not eligible to be IPC members, but contribute to the development of sport opportunities for athletes associated with the Paralympic Movement and have organisational goals that are compatible with the Vision and Mission of the IPC. The following 15 are IPC-recognised international sport federations:
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.
