International Review for the Sociology of Sport 2015, Vol. 50(4-5) 553–557 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1012690214548492 irs.sagepub.com Assessing the sociology of sport: On sport organizations and critical knowledge Fabien Ohl University of Lausanne, Switzerland Abstract On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, a key scholar in the development of the sociology of sport in continental Europe, Fabien Ohl, reflects on Francophone traditions in the development of the field. Considered first is the emergence and recognition of the sociology of sport within Francophone traditions in sociology on one hand and the need to ‘lean’ on the sport sciences on the other. The challenges for the sociology of sport are considered in light of the central tendencies in the life and sport sciences and on the optimization of sporting performance; here it is noted that the sociology of sport must, by necessity, work to keep a place within the sport sciences. The close of the essay considers strategies for advancing external legitimacy for the sociology of sport by gaining recognition of its value within the sport sciences and in sport management; here gaining access to sport organizations and showing the value of a ‘sociological lens’ are deemed essential. Keywords critical sociology, legitimacy, organizations, physical education, sociology, sociology of sport, sport management, sport sciences This essay aims to analyse the trajectory, the challenges and the future of the sociol- ogy of sport on three levels: (1) the internal dynamic within the specific sub-field of the sociology of sport; (2) its interactions with sociology and sport sciences; and (3) its relationship with sport organizations. It is argued that one way to face new chal- lenges is to increase the legitimacy of the sociology of sport by applying it to sport organizations. Corresponding author: Fabien Ohl, ISSUL, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Email: Fabien.Ohl@unil.ch 548492IRS 0 0 10.1177/1012690214548492International Review for the Sociology of SportOhl research-article 2014 ISSA and IRSS 50th Anniversary Article