6B040E - Policy, Law and Governance in Sport (Online) 01 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2032 | Version 0

Associated Module Information

Module Code: 6B040E
Module Title: Policy, Law and Governance in Sport (Online)
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Sport
Faculty Sub Group: Sports Coaching
Module Leader: Angela Morris
Module Team: Miranda Thomas, Thomas Lambourne, Debbie Hughes
First Intended Intake: SEP 2026 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 30 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100097 - sports management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 0
Valid From 01 Sep 2026
Valid To 31 Aug 2032

Module Aims

  • To develop a critical understanding of the principles and practices of governance within sport organisations, including accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership. 

  • To analyse the interrelationships between policy, law, and governance in shaping the strategic direction and operational effectiveness of sport organisations, at national and international levels. 

  • To enable students to apply theoretical and regulatory frameworks to real-world scenarios, fostering informed decision-making and problem-solving in governance and policy contexts. 

Content Summary

This module examines how policy, law, and governance shape the modern sport landscape, from safeguarding and integrity to strategic planning and accountability. You will explore how decisions made by governments, governing bodies, courts, and organisations influence who participates in sport, how sport is managed, and how organisations respond to complex ethical, legal, and political challenges. Through high-profile case studies—including governance failures, regulatory disputes, and organisational reform—you will investigate how legal and policy frameworks affect real people, communities, and sport systems. 

This is a highly relevant and impactful module for anyone aspiring to leadership or management roles in sport. You will learn how to interpret governance codes, evaluate policy implications, understand legal responsibilities, and make informed, ethical decisions in challenging organisational environments. The module strengthens your ability to operate confidently in roles requiring strategic oversight, risk management, compliance, and stakeholder accountability—core competencies for working in national governing bodies, professional clubs, community sport, and international sport systems. 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Problem/Challenge Based Learning 56
Guided Study 104
Placement 50
Formative assessment 30
Summative assessment 60
Total Hours Selected 300

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Critically evaluate governance structures, codes, and decision-making processes within sport organisations, identifying strengths, limitations, and implications for accountability, transparency, and integrity.
LO2 Analyse and interpret how policy and legal frameworks shape strategic and operational decisions in sport organisations, and apply this understanding to address real-world governance challenges.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report Written work 0 3000 50 No 40
Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment Individual Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) Presentation 15 N/A 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report
Individual Presentation (Synchronous Onsite)

Reading List

Week 1 (3 items) 

Introduction to Module |  Introduction to Governance and Legal Structures in Sport 

Good governance in sport : critical reflections, by Geeraert, Arnout; Geeraert, Arnout; Eekeren, Frank van, 2022 

Law and sport in contemporary society, by Steve Greenfield; Guy Osborn, 2000 

Sport governance: an introduction, by Neil A. King, 2016 

  

Week 2 (3 items) 

Culture, Values, Behaviours, Diversity and Integrity 

Gender equity in UK sport leadership and governance, edited by Philippa Velija; Lucy Piggott, 2022 

Virtuousness in Sports Organizations: Examination of Ethical Organizational Culture and Its Virtues - in Journal of global sport management (Print), by Riivari, Elina; Heikkinen, Suvi, 2024-01-02 

 | Recommended 

The Cambridge handbook of compliance, by Sokol, D. Daniel; Rooij, Benjamin van, 2021 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 3 (4 items) 

Sports Policy and the Sporting Landscape 

Regulating international sport: power, authority and legitimacy, by Lloyd Freeburn, 2018 

Routledge handbook of sport policy, by Henry, Ian; Ko, Ling-Mei, 2014, 2013 

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics: Country Profiles - in International journal of sport policy and politics, by Grix, Jonathan, 2023-01-02 

 | Recommended 

Safe sport for whom?: are national sport organisations addressing the truth and reconciliation commission's calls to action for sport through safe sport policies? - in International journal of sport policy and politics, by McRae, Nora; Giles, Audrey; Hayhurst, Lyndsay, 2024-04-02 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 4 (4 items) 

Roles and Responsibilities in Sport Organisations 

Routledge handbook of sport governance, edited by David Shilbury; Lesley Ferkins, 2021 

The numbers game: quantifying good governance in sport - in European sport management quarterly, by Girginov, Vassil, 2023-11-02 

 | Recommended 

Policy implementation and the cascading of good governance in County Football Associations in England - in Managing sport and leisure, by Dowling, Mathew; Harris, Spencer; Garcia, Borja, 2025-10-25 

 | Recommended 

Good governance in sport : critical reflections, by Geeraert, Arnout; Geeraert, Arnout; Eekeren, Frank van, 2022 

 | Recommended 

Stimulating ethical behaviour and good governance in sport: The (non)sense of codes of ethics - in Good Governance in Sport, by Constandt, Bram; Willem, Annick; Geeraert, Arnout; van Eekeren, Frank, 2022 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 5 (3 items) 

Strategy, Policy and Practice – Integration and Application 

Sport policy in Britain, by Houlihan, Barrie.; Lindsey, Iain., 2013 

Sport management: principles and applications, by Russell Hoye; Katie Misener; Michael L. Naraine; Catherine Ordway, 2022 

 | Recommended 

Past, present and future of sport policy: a bibliometric analysis of International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics (2010-2022) - in International journal of sport policy and politics, by Moradi, Erfan; Gholampour, Sajad; Gholampour, Behzad, 2023-10-02 

 | Recommended 

  

Week 6 (5 items) 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Sport 

Handbook on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility, by Edward Elgar Publishing, publisher.; Magnan, Michel; Michelon, Giovanna, 2024 

 | Recommended 

The Routledge handbook of corporate social responsibility communication, by O'Connor, Amy, 2023 

 | Recommended 

Corporate Social Responsibility in Football Associations : UEFA, DFB and the Regional Level in Germany, by Cengiz, Mehtap., 2026 

 | Recommended 

Social Impact Assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives: Evaluating the Social Return on Investment of an Inclusion Offer - in Journal of business ethics, by Scelles, Nicolas; Inoue, Yuhei; Perkin, Seth Joseph; Valenti, Maurizio, 2025-03-01 

 | Recommended 

Organisational factors for corporate social responsibility implementation in sport federations: a qualitative comparative analysis - in European sport management quarterly, by Zeimers, Géraldine; Lefebvre, Arthur; Winand, Mathieu; Anagnostopoulos, Christos; Zintz, Thierry; Willem, Annick, 2021-03-15