• Codifies fundamental principles
  
• delineates rules and regulations
• provide rules for production and operation of the OG
• "a way of life"

International Olympic Committee 

(IOC)

• responsible for overseeing OM throughout world
• final authority for all answers concerning OG & OM
• owns exclusive right to OG and Olympic symbol
• president Jacques Rogge

• worldwide governing bodies for particular sport/ encompass NGBs
• reponsible for technical control of the sport at OG
• sanction international competitions
• establish and enforce rules for the sport
• establish eligibility criteria for OG

National Governing Bodies

(NGBs)

• organizations governing specific sports in specific countries
• set national policies for participation in their respective sport
• responsible for training
• development and selection of olympic teams in the sport

United Stated Olympic Committee

(USOC)

Amateur Sports Act of 1978

(ASA)

• amended by Ted Stevens
• requires USOC swift and fair resolutions of disputes
• allow submission of disputes to AAA (dont overrule field of play decisions)
• empowers USOC to serve as coordinatiing body of amateur sports in the US

• empowers USOC to serve as coordinating body of amateur sports in the US

National Olympic Committee

(NOC)

• IOC gives NOC authority for representation of its country at OG (includes athlete eligibility)
• NGBs must go thru NOC for their sport to be in OG
• responsible for developing and protecting the Olympic movement
• have authority to designate cities that may bid on hosting OG in their countries

Organizing Committee for Olympic Games 

(OCOGs)

• has financial risk/rewards
• cities awared OG from OCOG
• responsible for planning, implementing, and staging OG
• host for Paralympic Games

• ASA requires USOCs and NGBs to have procedures for swift and fair resolution of disputes
• ASA allows disputes to be submitted to AAA for decisions (athletes, coaches, etc)
• courts reluctant to get involved & overturn decisions unless fraud, corruption, bias, etc.

CAS Functions

• Ordinary arbitration: resolves disputes relating to legal relations between parties
• Appeals arbitration: resolves decisions of sports orgs, primarily athlte-related (doping,eligibility, competition results)
• Ad Hoc Divisions: resolves disputes within 24hrs.

• In 1983 IOC established Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)
• provides forum for worldd athletes and sports federations to resolve disputes through single, independent adjudication body capable of consistently applying rules of different sports orgs.