Définition
A sports federation organises and promotes the practice of its discipline(s), from leisure activities to high-level sport. It is the union sports associations (governed by the law of 1901).
There are several types of federations:
- Single-sport federations, which organise the practice of a single discipline (e.g. the French volleyball federation). They are qualified as "Olympic" if their discipline is included in the Olympic Games’ programme (gymnastics for example). Otherwise, they are considered as non-Olympic (the case of billiards). The majority of single-sport federations are delegates of their discipline, i.e. they are the reference institution in charge of their discipline (rules, practice, organisation, high level, etc.);
- Multi-sport federations, which allow the practice of several sports.They are school-based, such as the national union of school sports (UNSS), or affinity-based, i.e. bringing together people who share a common trait (profession, religion, geography, disability, etc.), for example the French union of secular physical education works (UFOLEP).
Remarque
Source : mission Énquêtes, Données et Études Statistiques (MEDES), service statistique ministériel en charge de la jeunesse et des sports (site : https://injep.fr/mesurer/)