List of international sports federations
This is a list of international sports federations, each of which serves as a non-governmental governing 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)
Full members
Associate members
Winter Olympic Federations (WOF)
Full members
Associate members
Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF)
Federations recognized by SportAccord or GAISF
Federations whose sports are either included in the Olympic Games or recognized by the IOC are also stakeholders of SportAccord, after the dissolution of the Global Association of International Sports Federations in 2023. Other stakeholders of SportAccord compose the Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport.[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. As of September 2025, AIMS has 20 full member federations.| Sport | International federation | Official website | Notes |
| Aikido | International Aikido Federation | ||
| Angling | Confédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive | ||
| Arm wrestling | World Armwrestling Federation | ||
| Casting | International Casting Sport Federation | ||
| Darts | World Darts Federation | ||
| Dragon boat | International Dragon Boat Federation | ||
| Draughts | World Draughts Federation | ||
| Fistball | International Fistball Association | ||
| Fitness and Bodybuilding | International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation | ||
| Go | International Go Federation | ||
| Sport Ju-Jitsu | Ju-Jitsu International Federation | ||
| Kendo | International Kendo Federation | ||
| Miniature golf | World Minigolfsport Federation | ||
| Powerlifting | International Powerlifting Federation | ||
| Practical shooting | International Practical Shooting Confederation | ||
| Savate | Federation Internationale de Savate | ||
| Sepak takraw | International Sepaktakraw Federation | ||
| Sled dog sports | International Federation of Sleddog Sports | ||
| Soft tennis | International Soft Tennis Federation | ||
| Teqball | International Federation of Teqball |
Associate Members
As of September 2025, AIMS has 9 associate members.| Sport | International federation | Official website | Notes |
| American football | International Federation of American Football | Now in ARISF | |
| Cheerleading | International Cheer Union | Now in ARISF | |
| Flying disc sports | World Flying Disc Federation | Now in ARISF | |
| Ice stock sport | International Federation Icestocksport | Now in ARISF | |
| Kickboxing | World Association of Kickboxing Organizations | Now in ARISF | |
| Lacrosse | World Lacrosse | Now in ARISF | |
| Muay Thai | International Federation of Muaythai Associations | Now in ARISF | |
| Sambo | Fédération Internationale de Sambo | Now in ARISF | |
| Ski mountaineering | International Ski Mountaineering Federation | Now in ARISF |
Observers of GAISF
Associate members of GAISF
Before the dissolution of GAISF in 2023, other than full members, 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:| Sport | Federation |
| Commonwealth Games | Commonwealth Games Federation |
| Masters Games | International Masters Games Association |
| Mediterranean Games | International Committee of Mediterranean Games |
| Military World Games | International Military Sports Council |
| World Mind Sports Games | International Mind Sports Association |
| World Olympians Association | |
| Panathlon International | |
| Paralympic Games | International Paralympic Committee |
| School Sports | International School Sport Federation |
| Special Olympics | Special Olympics |
| International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities | |
| International Federation of Sports Chiropractic | |
| Sports for the Deaf | International Committee of Sports for the Deaf |
| International Federation of Sports Medicine | |
| International Sports Press Association | |
| CSIT World Sports Games | International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation |
| World Games | International World Games Association |
| World Union of Olympic Cities | |
| World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry |
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 six 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. Currently IPC acts as the international federation for six sports:| Sport | IPC sport committee name |
| Para athletics | World Para Athletics |
| Para dance sport | World Para Dance Sport |
| Para ice hockey | World Para Ice Hockey |
| Para powerlifting | World Para Powerlifting |
| Shooting para sport | World Shooting Para Sport |
| Para swimming | World Para Swimming |
International Federations
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:| Sport | Federation |
| Para alpine skiing, para cross-country skiing, para snowboard | International Ski and Snowboard Federation |
| Para archery | World Archery |
| Para badminton | Badminton World Federation |
| Boccia | Boccia International Sports Federation |
| Para biathlon | International Biathlon Union |
| Para equestrian | International Equestrian Federation |
| Paracanoe | International Canoe Federation |
| Paraclimbing | International Federation of Sport Climbing |
| Para cycling | Union Cycliste Internationale |
| Para rowing | World Rowing Federation |
| Sitting volleyball | World ParaVolley |
| Para table tennis | International Table Tennis Federation |
| Para taekwondo | World Taekwondo |
| Para triathlon | World Triathlon |
| Wheelchair basketball | International Wheelchair Basketball Federation |
| Wheelchair curling | World Curling Federation |
| Wheelchair rugby | World Wheelchair Rugby |
| Wheelchair tennis | International Tennis Federation |