The International Non-Olympic Committee-INOC Council has developed a definition of “sport” to help them determine whether an applicant federation qualifies as an international sports federation.

• The aim is not to have a general, scientifically sound or static definition, but rather to have a clear and pragmatic description of activities that could be considered as sports.

The International Non-Olympic Committee-INOC Definition of Sport
For all new membership applications, International Non-Olympic Committee-INOC uses the following definition of a sport:
• The sport proposed should include an element of competition.
• The sport should not rely on any element of “luck” specifically integrated into the sport.
• The sport should not be judged to pose an undue risk to the health and safety of its athletes or participants.
• The sport proposed should in no way be harmful to any living creature.
• The sport should not rely on equipment that is provided by a single supplier. Furthermore,
• Applications from martial arts and combat sports will be considered with the greatest care due to the complex nature and relatively minor differences between their activities. Applications from Sports Karate-Do will only be considered after consultation with the World Sports Karate-Do Federation (WSKE).
• Applications from sports with limited physical or athletic activity will be carefully considered.