Roles and responsibilities
In this section, we examine specific roles and responsibilities of board members relevant to sports organisations. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined for all stakeholders. Consultation with stakeholders on their role or if you want to make changes to a role or responsibility can actually be very helpful and can avoid unnecessary conflict later due to overlapping responsibilities or lack of clarity on who is responsible for what.
Roles and responsibilities discussed in this section include:
- board members – directors/trustees/officers
- the chair
- members
For many sports organisations, a place on the board – as a director or trustee – is one of the most important and central roles in the organisation and so we cover a variety of topics related to this position in this section, including:
- the benefits of being a board member
- responsibilities often associated with board members
- liabilities
- eligibility (can I serve on the board?) and recruitment
- due diligence
In this section, we have used the term ‘board member’ as a generic term covering those with the legal responsibility for the governance and oversight of an organisation. Where circumstances relate to a company or a charity specifically, the terms ‘director’ and ‘trustee’ are used respectively.
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Board members – directors and trustees
An overview of the roles and responsibilities of board members
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Board member eligibility
Guidance on the eligibility of directors or trustees
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Recruitment of board members
A look at the process of recruiting board members
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Honorary officers
An overview of the honorary officer positions in sports organisations, in particular the chair
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Lead directors - welfare and safety
The Code for Sports Governance places a requirement on organisations to appoint a lead director with responsibility for welfare and safety (Req. 4.7) and this may be considered good practice regardless of an explicit obligation to do so.
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Members
The important roles and responsibilities of a sports organisation’s members
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Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport Resources & Recordings
Please use this page to refer to the resources from our Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport workshops. You can access the slides, case studies and recordings to take in the content in your own time.
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Related tools
Useful tools for understanding the key roles within sports organisations
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Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport - Session 1 - The Role of the Board
Watch Session 1 - The Role of the Board from Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport
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Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport - Session 2 - Acting in the Best Interests of the Organisation
Watch Session 2 - Acting in the Best Interests of the Organisation from Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport
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Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport - Session 3 - Conflicts of Interest and Loyalty
Watch Session 3 - Conflicts of Interest and Loyalty from Understanding Directors’ and Trustees’ Duties in Sport
