Approaching rules as an organizational sociologist: Illustrations of the subsidiarity of legal and sociological perspectives in the field of sports

Sports organizations are governed by a complex set of rules and standards. When their binding scope proves limited, approaches based on ineffectiveness emphasize the lack of knowledge of this regulatory framework, its internal contradictions, the plurality of interpretations, or the fact that stakeholders occasionally bend the rules. Inspired by the subsidiarity between law and sociology, a constructivist vision of regulation enables us to grasp the interplay that takes place on, with, and around rules, at the end of negotiations and compromises. Examples come from organizational sociology work carried out with professional soccer clubs, facility managers, and event organizers. In many cases, rules prove to be the starting point for action, triggering appropriations that create spaces of freedom. However, research into the sociology of organizations tends to fall into a trap when, by prioritizing room for maneuver, it underestimates the channeling effect that rules also produce.