Sports are generally governed by some kind of unwritten code or unwritten traditions, that ensure fair play, and ensure consistent adjudication of the final winner. In most organized sports, statistics of past performances are kept, and this data can be widely reported or announced in media of sport. Many fans and enthusiasts want to see their favorite sportsperson excel in their chosen field, so statistics become very important in this situation. There are also many other aspects of sports, such as rules, that often require any form of permission from the player or team before a clip or photograph can be published or broadcasted, or even shown on television.
In mind sports like chess, rugby, billiards, and pool tables, the concept of freestyle is used to describe the rules and scoring in the game. Whereas in team sports like football, hockey, basketball, baseball and tennis, strict regulation of teams is followed, especially with respect to injuries and unnecessary physical activity. Freestyle is closely related to sportsmanship. This idea is non-existent in most sports that involve physical contact and the playing surface is usually made of concrete or hard plastic. Most other sports, such as swimming, cycling and sailing, have the concept of sportsmanship, which requires teams to maintain a good relationship and respect one another, rather than engage in any form of trash talk or malicious activity.
The governing body of professional sports is generally elected by the teams or players, who meet regularly to discuss issues of common interest. The governing body of professional sports governs athletic competition by making rules that define what is not allowed. The National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the Professional Golfers’ Association and the United States Olympic Committee are some of the larger governing bodies of professional sports in the US. Many fans enjoy watching professional athletes compete, either on television or live, and following the progress of teams and individuals through blogs, news reports, and commentaries by sports commentators. This allows the average fan to follow along in a very defined and dedicated way to events and individuals within the sport that they may be unfamiliar with otherwise.