Correlation of self-regulation and state governance in the sphere of football in Ukraine

Background and Study Aim. The article examines the difference between self-regulation and state governance in general meaning and their correlation in the sphere of football. For this purpose the powers of state regulator of Ukraine in the sphere of physical culture and sports are analyzed in comparison to practical aspects of self-regulation in football. To deepen understanding of the research problem the governing structure of international football is analyzed that also includes defining of the place in this structure of Ukrainian Association of Football – national sports federation with delegated authority for the development of football in Ukraine. The foregoing comprehensively covers the purpose of the study, which is to identify how self-regulation correlates with state governance in the sphere of football in Ukraine. Material and methods. The methodology employed in this study comprises analysis and systematization of Ukrainian legislation, regulatory documents of sports organizations, scientific and academic publications and Internet resources, followed by a comparison and contrast of the findings and systemic analysis. Results. The meaning of self-regulation and its difference from state governance are considered. It is determined that Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has broad powers to regulate the sphere of physical culture and sports in Ukraine. But in football self-regulation enjoys autonomous privileges – Ukrainian Association of Football de facto implements wide range of functions that cover considerable number of areas subject to state governance. This is facilitated by the pyramidal structure of international football regulated by non-governmental sports organizations, within which all fundamental decisions of higher-tier organizations are mandatory for all subjects of lower tiers. Conclusions. In Ukrainian football self-regulation prevails over state governance despite the legally established supremacy of state governance over self-regulation in the sphere of physical culture and sports of Ukraine. The state represented by Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, by tacit consent, allows Ukrainian Association of Football to autonomously regulate relations in the sphere of Ukrainian football not interfering in the activities of the latter to the extent, that this corresponds to the basic principles of regulation of non-governmental governing bodies in the sphere of football at the European and global levels.