Regulator-watching: A typology of regulatory methods adopted by sports governing bodies in concussion management

Responses to the harm caused by sports-related concussion constitute a new interdisciplinary field of research (Doherty, 2012). Regulatory theory and principles of what constitutes ‘good’ regulation can contribute to the discussion. The aim of this research is to present a typology of regulatory responses adopted by sports governing bodies in those sports with published injury surveillance data, and to classify the responses according to the regulatory methods used by the organisations.Sports governing bodies are voluntary self-regulated associations and custodians of their sport. As the dominant regulator responsible for the development of rules and standards, the organisation carries the responsibility to provide a safe system for participants within its regulatory field, focusing on precautionary-based approaches and risk reduction strategies to preserve the health, safety and welfare of participants. The expectation is that these interventions are based on well-defined objectives and an understanding of the variety of regulatory methods available to achieve the objectives.