Regulating Technology in Transnational Sport: Autonomy, Markets, and the Evolution of the Lex Sportiva

Abstract

International sporting federations (IFs) occupy a unique regulatory position within the transnational legal landscape. Benefiting from a high degree of autonomy, they have historically exercised near-exclusive authority over the governance of sport, including the specific regulatory question of technology development. This autonomy has enabled IFs to frame technological innovation according to internal principles – such as fairness, safety, and the preservation of the “spirit of sport” – thus creating a specific sub-classification of the lex sportiva as well as a distinct sociotechnical ordering. 

However, this autonomy is increasingly challenged by external forces: market interests promoting technological visibility and sponsorship, judicial scrutiny by bodies like the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) of the Court of justice of the EU (CJEU), and the growing intersection with national and supranational regulations, notably in areas such as data protection and intellectual property. These tensions reveal that technological regulation in sport is not merely technical but profoundly normative, influencing the evolution of the lex sportiva itself. 

This presentation analyses how IFs construct, justify, and adapt their regulatory frameworks for technology development in sport. It aims to identify the underlying legal and ethical principles shaping these decisions and to question whether the current lex sportiva can still sustain its coherence amid accelerating technological change. 

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